Little Bromley Parish Council has submitted an application to designate the entire parish as a Neighbourhood Plan Area.
Under Regulation 5A, where a parish council submits an application for an area that consists of the whole of the parish council’s area, the local planning authority must exercise their powers to designate the specific area as a neighbourhood plan area.
The designation enables the Parish Council to begin preparing a Neighbourhood Plan, which, once made, will form part of the statutory Development Plan and carry full weight in planning decisions. This supports the principles of localism and community empowerment, allowing residents to influence the future development of their area.

To designate the whole of Little Bromley Parish as a Neighbourhood Area in accordance with Regulation 5A of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

Option 1 – Designate the Neighbourhood Area
Designate the whole of Little Bromley Parish as a Neighbourhood Area in accordance with Regulation 5A of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended). The regulations require the local planning authority to approve such applications when submitted by a parish council and covering the entire parish area.
Option 2 – Do Not Designate the Neighbourhood Area
Decline the application to designate the Neighbourhood Area. This would be contrary to Regulation 5A of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended), which requires the local planning authority to designate the whole area when a parish council applies for the entire parish. The application from Little Bromley Parish Council meets all statutory requirements, and there are no legal or procedural grounds to justify refusal. Proceeding with this option could expose the Council to legal challenge and reputational risk.