The Durham City Neighbourhood Plan is now the responsibility of the City of Durham Parish Council. Before the Parish Council was set up the process of producing the Plan was conducted by The Durham City Neighbourhood Planning Forum (NPF), an officially-sanctioned group of volunteers who live or work in Durham City.
The vision of the Neighbourhood Plan is:
Durham City’s potential as a beautiful historic City will be realised through policy and action to improve and protect its qualities and by creating a diverse and resilient economy with attractive, healthy and affordable places to live. It will be supported by modern infrastructure, protected by adaptation to climate change and enriched by community engagement in its future.
Durham County Council has resolved to ‘make’ the Durham City Neighbourhood Plan (“the Plan”) which means the Plan has been brought into legal force. It now forms part of the statutory Development Plan for the Durham City Neighbourhood Area which comprises the whole of Durham City Town Council Parish Area. Decisions on planning applications must now be made in accordance with policies in the Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
The Decision notice, dated 7th July 2021 is available. DurhamNP_Reg19_DecisionStatement240621
The Durham City Neighbourhood Draft Plan has been:
- amended in the light of the responses received during the 2019 pre-submission consultation
- submitted to Durham County Council and has undergone a further consultation (see Submitted Plan and Regulation 16 consultation)
- examined by an Independent Examiner who has judged it accords with the Basic Conditiond when his amendments are made and confirmed that it can proceed to a referendum: Durham-Neighbourhood-Plan-Examiners-Report
- received decision notices to this effect from Durham County Council: Decision-Statement-Reg-18 and Basic-Conditions-Decision-Statement
- been modified as required by the Examiner (see Submitted Plan with tracked changes)
- submitted to a Referendum on 6th May 2021 (see 2021 Referendum)
- approved at the Referendum with an 85% vote in favour
- formerly adopted (or ‘made’) by Durham County Council: the Decision Notice is dated 7th July 2021 DurhamNP_Reg19_DecisionStatement240621
The content of the Plan is based on the views of people who live, work, or run a business in Durham City. Go to Your views for further details.
Minutes of the Forum meetings (now ceased) and the Working Party (now ceased) are available.
Our Neighbourhood: The Neighbourhood Plan applies to the whole of the City of Durham Parish and none of the areas beyond it. This comprises the Durham City wards of Nevilles Cross, Elvet and Gilesgate, and the part of Durham South on the City side of the River Wear (the other half is in the parish of Shincliffe). Put another way, that’s most of Durham City, but not Framwellgate Moor, Newton Hall, Gilesgate Moor or Belmont. You can use the form at the top of the right-hand column to see if you are in this area, and there’s also a map.
There is some more background information here.
