Neighbourhood Plan Scoping and Review

Few neighbourhood planning teams have a crystal clear idea of what they want their plan to achieve at the outset and the risk of over-reach with limited resources is high. There is therefore a premium on quickly resolving the focus of the project so that precious time, volunteer energy and money are not wasted.

Over the years we have developed and refined a scoping method to tackle this head on. It acknowledges that no project starts with a blank sheet of paper and most policy opportunities are easy to spot if you know what to look for. It recognises that clients have limited resources which need to be reflected in the project action plan and timetable. And we adopt a ‘less is more’ approach that looks for policy opportunities where the greatest value will be added to achieving the plan goals.

Why should you consider starting your project with scoping or a review?

Clients often tell us that they feel a relief when the scoping exercise is finished: all of a sudden what seemed too big and difficult is now achievable and the chance of going down rabbit holes is now remote. And our experience shows that when we look at the referendum version of the plan most of its policy scope can be traced back to the scoping stage.

This process is equally important for clients wishing to review an existing neighbourhood plan as those embarking on neighbourhood planning for the first time.

What happens next?

Our Neighbourhood Plan Scoping product is sharply focused on setting the brief for the remainder of the project. Clients can then finalise their project governance and management arrangements, secure the necessary resources and plan ahead with confidence.

Would you like to know more about Neighbourhood Plan Scoping?

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