Decision details

That the neighbourhood plan area (please see Appendix A), as proposed by Vale of Allen Parish Council (Group) Parish Council, be designated.

Scheme of delegation

Under the Officer Scheme of Delegation (April 2019), the Executive Director of Place has the power (138) “To undertake all action in relation to any function of the Council concerning neighbourhood planning” including the power to make a final determination as to whether to designate a neighbourhood plan area and/or make such an area a business area.

This power only applies, however, when there is insufficient time to have the matter considered by the relevant committee as part of the normal committee cycle; the Council is legally obliged to approve the designation; and/or there has been no objection to the proposal submitted to the Council within any relevant time for the submission of representations which has not been withdrawn.

The Local Scheme of Nomination sets out which functions have been nominated by the Executive Director of Place and any conditions or limitations. This includes the power ‘to designate neighbourhood plan areas (where the Council must exercise its powers to designate the specified area applied for as a neighbourhood plan area) and neighbourhood forums’. The only condition/limitation is that the relevant Portfolio Holder (Cllr Bartlett, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Emergency Planning) is consulted.

The Neighbourhood Planning (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 includes Regulation 6A which requires the authority to determine an area application within 13 weeks from the date immediately following that on which the application was first published. As the Vale of Allen Parish Council Area application was first published on 6 May 2025, over 11 weeks have now elapsed, and the Council needs to exercise its powers to designate the specified area applied for as a neighbourhood plan area. The conditions within the Officer Scheme of Delegation / Local Scheme of Nomination have been met and a decision should be made without delay.

Proposed Area

A proposed Vale of Allen Neighbourhood Area has been submitted by Vale of Allen Parish Council (Group). The neighbourhood area does not entirely follow parish boundaries and extends into the adjacent Parish of Knowlton. The application includes agreed consent from Knowlton Parish Council.

As part of the designation process a minimum 6-week consultation period is required where the proposed area does not align with a parish boundary, in order to give interested parties the opportunity to make comments. The proposal was subject to consultation, held from the 6^th May 2025 to 17th June 2025, a period of six weeks.

At the close of consultation five responses had been received. The responses were from Cranborne Chase National Landscape, Environment Agency, Holt Parish Council, National Highways and Natural England. Cranborne Chase National Landscape and Holt Parish Council suggested alternative boundaries. The suggestions are considered below.

Recommendation

As a valid application has been received from Vale of Allen Parish Council (Group), the Council must designate a neighbourhood area.

Generally, in parished areas, the parish boundary is considered to be the most appropriate boundary for a neighbourhood area. However, provision is made for groups of parishes or other areas to be designated as a neighbourhood area if consent is gained from the parish councils to be included. In this instance, consent has been given by Knowlton Parish Council for the inclusion of part of their area.

The Cranborne National Landscape set out in its response that ‘Whilst the B3078 road provides a firm line for the north-eastern boundary it might be more logical, in terms of existing boundaries, to extend the area in that sector to the boundary of this National Landscape and International Dark Sky Reserve. Doing that could avoid relatively small patches of this nationally important NL being omitted from a Neighbourhood Plan and thereby creating an unsatisfactory two tier policy arrangement.’ 

Holt Parish Council detailed in its response that ‘Members have now discussed and in their opinion the Vale of Allen area of Gaunts Common should be considered for exclusion from the proposed area on the basis of not spliƫng the community due to the line of the parish boundary.’

Vale of Allen Parish Council (Group) has considered the consultation responses received including the suggested boundary changes put forward by Cranborne Chase National Landscape and Holt Parish Council. However, it has decided it wishes to proceed with the neighbourhood area as originally proposed. On this basis it is recommended that the area proposed by Vale of Allen Parish Council (Group), be approved.

Business Area

Section 61H of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Localism Act 2011, requires that when designating a neighbourhood area, a local planning authority should consider whether the area concerned should be designated as a ‘business area’. If a business area is designated, local businesses would have the opportunity to be more involved in the formation of the neighbourhood plan and would get an opportunity to vote (alongside registered electors) in the later referendum on whether the neighbourhood plan should come into force. However, this section of the Act also makes it clear that a neighbourhood area should only be designated as a business area if it is ‘wholly or predominantly business in nature’.

The proposed neighbourhood area is predominantly rural in character. Given this context it is not considered appropriate to designate the neighbourhood area as a business area.

No conflicts of interest declared.