Council-wide Plans
Lesbury Neighbourhood Development Plan
Following a successful referendum in June 2021, the Lesbury Neighbourhood Development Plan was formally "made" at a meeting of the Council's Cabinet in July 2021 and became part of the statutory development plan for Northumberland.
The Localism Act 2011 introduced new powers to allow local communities to shape development in their areas by preparing a neighbourhood development plan (NDP). In May 2017, the Lesbury Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group was set up by Lesbury Parish Council to prepare a NDP, using the existing Lesbury Parish Plan 2009 as the initial reference point.
The Steering Group comprised members of Lesbury Parish Council and other residents of the Parish. Northumberland County Council (NCC) formally designated the Parish of Lesbury, including the settlements of Lesbury, Hipsburn and Bilton, as a neighbourhood area in July 2017. With professional assistance from the NCC Planning Department and an independent planning consultant, as well as help from a group of ‘Champions’ (volunteers who helped with communications, handing out questionnaires and updates), the Steering Group commissioned a Housing Needs Survey by Community Action Northumberland and organised several focus meetings and community events to gather the opinions of
parishioners and update on progress with the Plan.
The first draft of the Lesbury NDP was submitted to NCC in December 2018. There followed several periods of consultation and amendments, before the Plan was submitted to an independent External Examiner. The final version of the Plan was ready for the referendum in July 2020, but this had to be delayed because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Following a successful referendum in June 2021, the Lesbury Neighbourhood Plan was formally “made” at a meeting of the Council’s Cabinet in July 2021 and became part of the statutory development plan for Northumberland.The official documentation for the Lesbury NDP can be found at https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/neighbourhood-plans
Pamela Allen, formerly Chair, Lesbury Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group
Jean Humphrys, formerly Vice Chair, Lesbury Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and representative for Lesbury Parish Council
Lesbury Neighbourhood Plan – Made Version (July 2021)
Background Paper – Settlement boundaries for Lesbury, Hipsburn and Bilton (May 2019)
Background Paper – Local Green Spaces, Recreational Spaces and Allotments (June 2019)
Background Paper – Non-designated Heritage Assets (October 2019)
