Advice and support, including from the Borough Council

The Borough Council provides advice and guidance to all existing Neighbourhood Plan groups. Planning officers make time to attend working group/parish council meetings, whenever possible, particularly in relation to helping to understand the Local Plan context and drafting policies.

The Borough Council also provides the necessary screening in relation to a need for a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), in consultation with the statutory environmental bodies. This Guidance Note provides further information on the process.

Feedback will be given to both emerging and draft neighbourhood plans in a timely manner and, where necessary, will encourage discussion on any key issues.

Neighbourhood planning enquiries should be directed by email to neighbourhoodplans@tunbridgewells.gov.uk in the first instance.

The Borough Council is not in a position to offer financial support to neighbourhood plan preparation, but communities can seek assistance in the form of grants and/or technical support – see Locality website’s Neighbourhood Planning section - although it is responsible for funding the final, ‘submission’ plan consultation and the independent examination.