Bell Green Neighbourhood Area

A Neighbourhood Area has been designated for the area around the Bell Green gyratory, following an application for a Neighbourhood Area and Forum.

As the original boundary area applied for was deemed to be too large for a Neighbourhood Area, a smaller area has been designated. A map of the new Bell Green Neighbourhood Area can be found here.

As the designated Neighbourhood Area is different from the original boundary applied for, the application for the Neighbourhood Forum has been refused. There is now the opportunity for a group to apply to be designated as the Bell Green Neighbourhood Forum, who would be responsible for neighbourhood planning matters within the new Bell Green Neighbourhood Area. Any application will be subject to officer assessment and a further consultation period of at least 6 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the boundary of the Neighbourhood Area different from the original application?

When making a decision on an application for a Neighbourhood Area, the Council has to consider whether the area applied for is appropriate, in accordance with national legislation, and to designate a smaller appropriate area if necessary.

While public consultation found strong support for the community to be more involved in planning decisions around the Bell Green area, some respondents raised concerns about the size of the area and whether it represented a single coherent neighbourhood.

In considering the application in line with national legislation and the responses received through public consultation, the Council determined that the boundary area applied for did not represent an appropriate area. As a result, a smaller area has been designated instead as the Bell Green Neighbourhood Area.

Does the Council have the power to change the boundary for the Neighbourhood Area?

Yes. Under national legislation, if a valid application for a Neighbourhood Area is received, a local planning authority can refuse to designate the specific area applied for if it considers the area not to be appropriate. The authority then must use its powers of designation to ensure that some or all of the area applied for forms part of one or more designated areas.

In certain circumstances, the local planning authority must designate all of the area applied for. This only applies in the case of parish councils or where the time limit for determining the application has not been met, so is not relevant to this application.

Who has taken this decision?

In line with the Council’s constitution, this decision has been taken under delegated authority by the Director of Planning, having carefully considered the application(s) and consultation responses in line with national legislation.

What are the next steps for the Neighbourhood Forum and Area?

There is now the opportunity for a group to apply to be designated as the Bell Green Neighbourhood Forum, who would be responsible for neighbourhood planning matters within the new Bell Green Neighbourhood Area. Any application will be subject to officer assessment and a further consultation period of at least 6 weeks.