Neighbourhood planning assistance for neighbourhood forum

Find out how Brighton & Hove City Council can provide assistance to neighbourhood forums

How the council can help

We can help you by: 

  • assigning a planning policy officer to be your first point of contact
  • giving general and technical advice, for example on policies in the Brighton & Hove City Plan and how they might affect the neighbourhood plan. 
  • giving advice and/or access to sources of local statistical data and making existing data and evidence available that we have already gathered for our own Local Plans
  • supplying Ordnance Survey (OS) maps
  • reviewing draft policies and providing comments on whether they are likely to meet the neighbourhood plan requirements known as the ‘basic conditions’
  •  ‘screening’ of the draft plan to meet Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) requirements
  • organising the later stages of the Neighbourhood Plan process including the independent examination of the plan and organising the local referendum to let the community decide if the neighbourhood plan should be adopted

Make sure to give us advance notice of any requests. This is so we can allocate resources to handle the request.

If you are a neighbourhood group interested in neighbourhood planning, please contact us if you would like to discuss producing a neighbourhood plan. You can send an email to neighbourhoodplanning@brighton-hove.gov.uk  

Available funding

Neighbourhood groups will need to consider the likely cost of producing a neighbourhood plan and how to fund it. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide financial support.

You can apply for funding for a Basic Grant for up to £10,0001. As well as applying for a Basic Grant, you can also apply for Technical Support (provided you meet the eligibility criteria) to help you with your neighbourhood plan.

You must spend your grant funding by the end of the financial year. 

To find out more about how you can spend your grant funding, read the Neighbourhood Planning Guidance Notes.

More information on neighbourhood plan funding

Neighbourhood planning step by step guide

We have made an easy to understand guide to neighbourhood planning for neighbourhood forums.

Read our step by step guide for neighbourhood planning

Resources and useful links