Support throughout your Neighbourhood Planning journey

Creating a Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and bringing it into force is challenging. It can take a long time. You’re never on your own, though. As well as working alongside people in your community, you can access a raft of support from Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Community Matters and Locality.

Support from Birmingham City Council (BCC)’s Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit

Be sure to make contact with NDSU early on in your Neighbourhood Planning journey, because they will:

  • Let you know if a Neighbourhood Planning Forum already exists in your area - or support you in forming one

  • Connect you with BCC’s Planning department for support at every step of your Neighbourhood Planning journey (see box below for more information)

  • Facilitate collaboration between you and other groups who have similar ambitions in your area - or people who have already embarked on Neighbourhood Planning in different parts of Birmingham

  • Act as your ‘way in’ to other BCC departments, connecting you with your local councillor(s) for early conversations about what could be achieved in your neighbourhood 

  • Help you access specialist planning support to keep your NP progressing positively 

  • Offer you, if appropriate, Localism funding to support you and your community in exploring and developing your NP

  • Continue to support you and advocate for your NP once it has been brought into force, ensuring your wider community is fully aware of it and what it means for your area.

A short video explaining the help available from the Neighbourhood Development and Support Unit, Birmingham City Council.

A short video explaining how NDSU’s work fits into Localism and the white paper ‘Working together in Birmingham’s neighbourhoods’

  • Support from BCC’s Planning department 

    NDSU will connect you with BCC’s Planning department from the outset. A planning officer with a background in policy will give you detailed advice at every step. They will make sure your NP is in general conformity with Birmingham’s strategic planning policies.

    They will not (and legally cannot) write your NP for you or influence the content: all the ideas must be led by your community.

  • Locality is the national membership network that supports community organisations to be strong and successful.  

    You will find a wealth of resources on Locality’s Neighbourhood Planning website.  Locality also offers technical support for individual Neighbourhood Planning Forums across the country. Through this, a specialist adviser can help you with specific issues or assessments relating to your Neighbourhood Plan.

    Locality takes applications for this technical support on a rolling basis: find out more at neighbourhoodplanning.org.

  • BCM is a charity supporting people to set up, run or grow small community groups in Birmingham, offering networking, signposting and peer learning. 

    BCM holds events in community venues across the city where you can sit down with BCM helpers to talk through your ideas and challenges. These are volunteers who have lots of experience in running small voluntary organisations. You can see details of BCM’s upcoming events on its Eventbrite page.

    Subscribe to BCM’s newsletter for signposting to other valuable services and opportunities for community organisations in Birmingham. Visit BCM’s website.

Further support

The Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Plan was written by the community for the community, and involved a variety of consultees over the years. Residents, businesses, local groups, designers, architects, the city council and other important stakeholders. We were buoyed by the level of interest and activity undertaken, and we are very proud of the final document.

The process became easier through the years as the support around the construction of Neighbourhood Plans became more mainstream, and we would recommend looking into the process if you’re interested in a plan for your area. Birmingham City Council, whilst not the author, were incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout, and have developed new guidance in the meantime.

Don’t be shy to investigate the funding streams and technical support - these were all invariably useful to the process.”

— Nicola and Matt, co-chairs of the Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Planning Forum

“