Chilton Neighbourhood Plan 2025-2035
The Chilton Neighbourhood Plan is your opportunity to shape the future of our town. Together, we can create policies that reflect our shared vision for Chilton, guided by principles from the National Design Guide.
Neighbourhood Planning gives our community the direct power to develop a shared vision to shape the future of our Town. It provides a powerful set of tools for local people to plan for the type of environment, facilities & infrastructure we would like to
see in Chilton.
What are the benefits?
- It enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the place in which we live and work, supporting new development proposals.
This is because the Neighbourhood Plan is approved as a statutory document to sit alongside the Durham County Council Local Plan It will put in place policies that will deliver our Vision for Chilton. - Community led development plans; housing needs, transport, access to facilities and services for all ages, feeling safe and tackling antisocial behaviour Identifying and preserving sites, buildings and spaces of local significance.
- Supporting the protection of public and green space; play & recreation, increasing biodiversity.
- Producing an evidence base for the allocation of public funding based on local need.
What is the process?
There is a legal framework to produce a Neighbourhood Plan
1. Apply to the Durham County Council for designation of the Neighbourhood area.
2. Chilton Town Council, supported by an advisory group must engage with you as a community to find out what is important about where you live and what is our vision for the local area.
3. Once all evidence is gathered to back up the ideas you want to see, the next part of the process is to write the planning policies.
4. Once your draft neighbourhood plan is complete, it is submitted to the local authority.
5. They will check that all the correct procedures have been followed and that all required documents have been submitted, the local authority will then arrange for an independent examiner to check that the plan meets the basic conditions.
6. Finally, if your plan passes these tests, the Durham County Council will organise a public referendum (vote), so that everyone who lives in Chilton can decide whether they support it.
7. If more than 50% of the voters are in favour of the plan, the local authority must bring it into force. This means that it will form part of the statutory development plan for that area, so any decisions about whether or not to grant planning permission in the neighbourhood area in the future must be made by taking your neighbourhood plan into consideration
How do I get involved?
There are a number of ways you can get involved and we want residents of all ages to be engaged in the development of the Chilton Plan including:
- Complete the survey, either online or pick up a paper copy from Hutton House
- Attend a public meeting
- Be part of a focus group, arrange one for your community group or organisation
- Use the drop-in’s session
- And enter the competitions.
Enter Our Competition
Contact Sue or Anne
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to Sue or Anne. They are here to help with any inquiries related to the Chilton Neighbourhood Plan. Whether it’s about the process, meetings, or submitting feedback, they will ensure your concerns are addressed promptly.
Cllr Sue Reece -Neighbourhood Plan Lead
Anne Hall– Neighbourhood Plan Officer
Email: NeigbourhoodPlan@chiltondurham-tc.gov.uk
Tel: 01388 721788
