Hingham Neighbourhood Plan

Hingham Town Council has, since 2021, been preparing a Neighbourhood Plan. Once adopted, it will be used to help guide and shape future development across the parish.

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A local referendum will be held on Thursday 6 November 2025 in order to determine whether residents within the neighbourhood area support the proposed Hingham Neighbourhood Plan.

Further details regarding the referendum, including the referendum information statement, the local planning authority’s basic conditions statement, the examiner’s report and the related Neighbourhood Plan documents are available to view in the documents section, below.

Background

Hingham Town Council submitted a Neighbourhood Area application to South Norfolk Council in September 2021. The area proposed was the whole civil parish and, in accordance with Regulation 5A of the 'Town and Country Planning, England - Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012', South Norfolk Council confirmed the designation. The Town Council is the relevant body for preparing the Neighbourhood Development Plan.

Since that time, a steering group of volunteers, working on behalf of the Town Council has developed a proposed Neighbourhood Plan for the parish, which has involved extensive research and consultation with the community and other stakeholder bodies. This was submitted to South Norfolk Council in February 2024.

Following its submission to South Norfolk Council, the proposed Hingham Neighbourhood Plan underwent an initial independent examination by Mr Andrew Ashcroft (Andrew Ashcroft Planning Ltd), which concluded on 23 September 2024.

South Norfolk Council proposed to approve each of the modifications within the examiner’s report apart from that relating to Policy HING9 – Allocation of land for community uses, where the examiner proposed to delete the policy. The Council proposed an alternative modification on the basis of new evidence having been presented by Hingham Town Council following receipt of the examiner’s report.

In accordance with paragraph 13(1) of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Council consulted on its proposed modification in relation to HING9 during May and June 2025.

The representations received, including a summary, can be found in the ‘documents’ section, below. South Norfolk Council subsequently re-appointed Mr Ashcroft to consider the evidence and the Council’s proposed modifications before setting out his recommendations in a focused report.

This has now been produced and the Council has now made a decision in respect of the proposal, including approval that the proposed Hingham Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to a local referendum, subject to the agreed modifications specified within the Council’s final Decision Statement. This document, the amended Neighbourhood Plan and referendum information are available to view in the documents link below.

Planning Practice Guidance also provides advice on the weight to be attached to a post-examination plan.

View the Neighbourhood Plan documents.