Neighbourhood Plan Update / Next Steps
What happens now?
The draft Neighbourhood Plan document was endorsed at a meeting of our Full Council on Wednesday 20th November. It was submitted to Dorset Council for Stage 3 of the process on December 6th last year. Corrections were made and the final amendments were sent to Dorset Council on January 15th 2025.
Dorset Council now invites residents, groups, business and the statutory authorities to formally comment on the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan between 24th January and Friday 10th April. Follow this link Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan – Dorset Council to the Dorset Council web page which provides the primary documents for the Neighbourhood Plan consultation and respond in the manner indicated.
From Monday 3rd February, Royal Mail has delivered a leaflet produced by the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group advertising this consultation and summarising the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan.
After Dorset Council’s consultation closes, the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan and the responses to the consultation will be submitted for independent examination. The examiners comments will be incorporated and Dorset Council will hold a referendum where people on the electoral register for Weymouth will be able to have a further say on the plan.
Submission Documents
The submission will comprise of the following mandatory documents:-
This is the version which was updated and sent to Dorset Council on 15th January 2025.
Changes have been made to the documents since first released in November 2024, as noted in the Agenda Item to Full Council. These are captured in the Errata below, which records changes made to improve the quality and presentation of the information and to update maps and correct typos and omissions. The only change that affects Policy was by Weymouth Town Council in the debate on the 20th November and modifies the Affordable Housing Policy to refer to the Dorset Council’s Housing Allocation Policy.
The full set of changes from the Pre-Submission Draft is captured under the Reg 14 Consulation Heading.
Main Supporting Documents
Regulation 14 Consultation
The Regulation 14 Consultation was carried out from October 2023 to January 2024. Responses were collated and assessed resulting in changes to the Pre-Submission Draft. This is captured in the following documents:
Frequently Asked Questions
A number of queries from members of the public and other interested parties regarding aspects of the Neighbourhood Plan were received. These were noted, analysised and the formal response to Regulation 14 taken into account. Meanwhile we are publishing, on the website, responses to Frequently Asked Questions relating to the Plan.
Further Supporting Information
The full set of documents supporting the development of the Neighbourhood Plan can be found HERE.
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A neighbourhood plan sets out the policies that are used to help make decisions about planning applications in the area.
It is led by the local community and gives everyone an opportunity to have a say and help shape future development.
You can read more about it in “How to create a Neighbourhood Plan: Your step-by-step roadmap Guide”
How to get involved and Have your say
The informal engagement and 1st Round of consultation are now complete, you will next be able to comment and vote on the Plan as described in Stage 3 below
What area is covered by the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan?
Our neighbourhood plan will apply to the wider Weymouth area, not just the town centre. The designated boundary was agreed in July 2020:
Sutton Poyntz which lies within the boundary already has a neighbourhood plan. It was adopted on 5 May 2020. The new Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan will respect and include the policies of the Sutton Poyntz Neighbourhood Plan.
The Process
As your town council, we facilitate Weymouth’s Neighbourhood Plan. It’s our job to get the views of local residents and businesses and use them to write planning policies which reflect our community’s vision for Weymouth.
This is a collaborative process and we will use stages of community engagement to decide the content of the plan.
Stage 1 – Early engagement (Gathering evidence)
We gather information, ideas and views from the community. We compile evidence for emerging themes including jobs, homes, environment and green spaces
Stage 2 – Mid-stage engagement (Preparing the Plan and Pre-submission consultation)
We facilitate discussions focussing on themes for drafting policy and produce a draft plan. We publish the draft plan for consultation. Following public consultation modifications are made to the Plan.
Stage 3 – Independent Examination and Referendum (Bringing the Plan into Force)
We submit the plan to Dorset Council, our local planning authority. Dorset Council hold a further consultation of residents and statutory authorities. The Plan and the Consultation Report and comments are then submitted by Dorset Council for examination by an independent Planning Inspector. The examiners report may lead to further changes to the Plan. The Plan is then put to a referendum giving the local community the opportunity to say yes or no to it. If the vote is yes then Dorset Council will bring the plan into force as part of the Development Plan for Weymouth.
Who will prepare the Neighbourhood Plan?
Weymouth Town Council is the accountable body. The plan needs to conform with certain requirements before it is submitted to Dorset Council.
The process began in December 2020 and the plan has been prepared through engagement and consultation with local people and support from experts in Neighbourhood Planning. A Steering Group was been set up to guide the process, comprising of people who represent our many different communities, businesses and interest groups in Weymouth.
The Neighbourhood Plan Vision
By 2038, Weymouth will be a resilient coastal community with a diverse range of jobs and homes which meet the needs of residents for present generations without compromising the needs of future generations. The unique identities of our local neighbourhoods will be attractive to all age groups and will foster healthy and happy lifestyles.
Contact us by email neighbourhood@weymouthtowncouncil.gov.uk