Neighbourhood Plan Update

1. What is the difference between the Dorset Local Plan (DLP) and the Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan (WNP)?

Key difference – residents get to vote for or against the WNP – they don’t get to vote (directly) for the DLP (this is voted on by Dorset Councillors).  The WNP Approval is true Localism where residents decide through a full democratic Referendum.

Key Difference – the WNP has been prepared by a Steering Group (Councillors and residents) and sets local, Weymouth specific policies – The DLP is prepared by Dorset Council for the whole Dorset Area and sets Strategic (broad and generalised) policies.

Key Difference – the WNP has taken 5 years to develop – has been consulted on – approved by an examiner but must pass a Local Referendum in Dec 2025 – the DLP is still in development, will go through a further refinement, and agreement by Dorset Councillors.  It will then be Examined and if passed will be adopted (estimated Dec 2027).

• Will the WNP be irrelevant when the DLP comes in?

Key point – If the WNP passes the Referendum, Dorset Council have a duty to apply the policies in it when making planning decisions.

Key Point – If the WNP passes referendum it will still stand when the DLP is agreed. In areas where the two plans conflict, the DLP will take precedence, but other policies in the WNP will still apply.

• Why have we been consulted on the Dorset Local Plan but the Referendum is for the WNP?

Key point – the processes are independent and overlapping.  Should the Neighbourhood Plan pass the referendum then it will set local policies which DC must then use in determining planning applications.

• Why aren’t the brownfield sites being developed ahead of greenfield sites?

Key Points:

1. This is a shared aspiration of the DLP and WNP but the UK Government’s National Planning Policy Framework does not allow either to prohibit development on greenfield new or say which developments should go first.
2. Brownfield sites in Weymouth are covered by the Strategic Policies in the DLP for Weymouth Town Centre.  The WNP supports the update of the Dorset Council Town Centre Masterplan with the addition of residential development.

• Won’t the new Dorset LP supersede the Weymouth NP?

Key Points: NO.  The National Planning Policy Framework says the most recent plan will have priority, where there is a conflict between the plans.  This means that;

1. Should the WNP pass the Referendum it will have priority over the existing LP where the two plans conflict.
2. When the new DLP is adopted (late 2027 at the earliest) then the DLP will have priority only where there are policy conflicts,
3. Where the plans do not conflict e.g. where space is protected as a Local Green Space in the WNP, these policies will still apply.

• Why hasn’t Greenhill Gardens been included as a Local Green Space (LGS)?

Key Point –LGS were proposed by residents or local groups, no submission was received for Greenhill Gardens.

Key Point – Representations supported by WTC were made during the final consultation and to the Examiner who concluded that had it been included it would have met the criteria.  WTC has agreed to include this site in a future review of the WNP if it is agreed at referendum.

• Isn’t this just a waste of public money?

Key Point – There are already 39 NPs in Dorset Council Area. Weymouth Town Council felt it was important that Weymouth had similar opportunities. It is now down to the residents to decide via the referendum if this plan is to become part of the planning policies at Dorset Council or not.

• What happens if the WNP is not agreed by residents at the Referendum?

Key points – Then determining planning applications will rely on the policies in the existing West Dorset Weymouth & Portland Local Plan 2015 and the Sutton Poyntz NP 2019 until the new Dorset Local Plan is adopted which is unlikely to be before Dec 2027 and possibly later.

• What happens if the WNP is not agreed by residents at the Referendum?

Key Points – Planning applications in Weymouth will have to comply with the WNP Policies – this includes the policy protecting against speculative development outside the Defined Development Boundary – this will last for 5 years after the WNP is made.  Dorset Council will need to pay due regard to the WNP in forming its strategic policies for affecting Weymouth.