Neighbourhood Plan

Neighbourhood Plan Details from the Headland Parish Council

Our Recent Prince’s Trust Report is available to download by clicking here

Under the Localism Act 2011, we have new rights and powers to shape development in our community. For the first time ever, we can draw up a Neighbourhood Plan setting out what development we want to see – and what we don’t.

What our Plan can and can’t do

We can draw up a Neighbourhood Plan setting out what development we want to see – and what we don’t.
However, it MUST;

  • Have regard to national planning policy.
  • Be in general agreement with the strategic policies within the Local Plan (being developed by HBC).

What the Neighbourhood Plan can’t do:

  • Affect existing planning permissions
  • Block development already identified as necessary
  • Block all future development

However, the Neighbourhood Plan could include any of this:-

  • Allocate sites for the development of housing
  • Policies on affordable housing
  • Transport and access issues addressed by the planning system
  • Leisure and entertainment venues
  • Provision for businesses
  • Community or youth centres/facilities
  • Development of schools, places of worship and health facilities
  • The design of buildings
  • Re-use of derelict land
  • Protection of open spaces, nature reserves, play areas, sports facilities, The Moor and so on…
  • Protection of important buildings, conservation areas and historic sites
  • Car parking facilities

Every resident can be involved in creating the Plan, and we’ll all have a chance to vote on it in a referendum. If it’s approved, it becomes a legal document that will govern all future planning decisions.

The Neighbourhood Plan will enable us to:

  • Create a shared vision for Hartlepool Headland.
  • Have a say on where new homes, shops, offices, and workplaces should be built.
  • Protect our green spaces and historic buildings and heritage.
  • Influence the designs of new homes and other buildings.
  • Express our views on our streets and infrastructure, tourism, leisure and community facilities, and environmental issues.

This is an incredibly important moment for us, our area and our future as a community. But to make the Plan work, we need as many people as possible to contribute to it. If you would like to make a comment or get involved please go to our Contact Us page or attend one of our meetings.

Neighbourhood Plans are a whole new approach to planning, which recognises that the best people to say where future housing, business and community-related developments should go are the people who live, work, shop and go to school here.

Hartlepool Headland’s Neighbourhood Plan covers all aspects of development in our area. It’s our chance to come together as a community and decide what kind of area we want Hartlepool Headland to be in the next five, 10, 20 years, and beyond.

The Plan, which you’ll be able to vote on in a referendum, will set out the types of development we think the town needs, what we’d be prepared to see built, and which sites we feel would be most appropriate.

The more individuals and sectors of the community who contribute, the better our plan will be for everyone. So, take a look around the area, and then let us know your thoughts. Your contribution really is vital.

Working Group

Volunteers, who care about the future of our area who have given their time, this includes Parish councillors, residents and other stakeholders have formed an independent working group which is coordinating the community engagement process and producing the final plan.

The Working Group was formed in November 2012 and the membership and Terms of Reference were approved by Hartlepool Headland Parish Council in February 2013

Hartlepool Headland’s Neighbourhood Plan will be based on what YOU, the residents, tell us.

Timeline

The Headland Parish Council, local residents and Officers from Hartlepool Borough Council first met in December 2012 to discuss becoming a Neighbourhood Planning area and designated the boundary of the plan in February 2013. The area covers the whole of the Headland and takes in the Engine House and Central Park. We then developed an engagement plan in order to gather the views of the local community. We distributed a questionnaire to every household asking for your views and aspirations for the Headland as well as carrying out consultation at a variety of events including the Carnival and Heritage days and visiting groups such as the History Group, youth groups at Headland Future and social groups. The consultation was also carried out with the Business Holders The results of the questionnaire can be viewed via Link

In March 2013 we carried out a three-day workshop delivered by the Princes Foundation. Working Group members and residents worked with planning experts to look at a variety of themes including

  • Transport and Movement
  • Tourism and Heritage
  • Retail
  • Industry
  • Housing
  • Public Realm and
  • Future Design aspirations

A comprehensive document was produced and can be viewed via LINK

Between January and April 2014 the group carried out street audits in order to identify good and bad design, specifically looking at street lighting, litter bins, benches, street signs and paving. The final plan will set out what designs should be used in future development and replacing like for like or better if replacements are needed.

The group have also received £7,000 in funding from Locality to assist in developing the Neighbourhood Plan. So far this has been used to produce Newsletters and questionnaires and host consultation events and meetings. We also plan to commission a professional Urbanist and Town Planner to write the Policies for the final planning document to assist the group in taking this forward to the referendum.

Get Involved

The Hartlepool Headland Neighbourhood Plan will be based entirely on what YOU, the residents, tell us. During 2013, we talked to Hartlepool Headland’s clubs, associations and community groups, as well as individuals. We held several workshops open to the whole community and had a display at the Hartlepool Headland Heritage Festival and the Carnival. We asked for comments and ideas using a map of the Headland and sticky dots to identify what people liked, disliked and thought either could or should be improved.