The Localism Act was enacted in November 2011. The Act, and the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 and supporting regulations, introduced the ability for communities to prepare neighbourhood plans. The provisions of the Localism Act and the regulations for neighbourhood planning came into force on 6th April 2012.

Neighbourhood plans must be in general conformity with strategic policies in local plans (for Ipswich, the adopted Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document) and are subject to independent examination and a referendum.

There are many sources of information available on neighbourhood planning, some of which are signposted below.

• The GOV.UK website contains useful information, including neighbourhood planning case studies and frequently asked questions.
• The government initially funded four organisations to support neighbourhoods in plan preparation: The Prince's Foundation, Locality, Planning Aid (via the Royal Town Planning Institute) and the National Association of Local Councils in association with Campaign to Protect Rural England.

If you wish to discuss neighbourhood planning in Ipswich, please contact the Planning Policy Team using the details provided on this page.