Newton Flotman Neighbourhood Plan

Newton Flotman Parish Council has, since 2023, 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 4 September 2025 in order to determine whether residents within the neighbourhood area support the proposed Newton Flotman 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

In October 2023 Newton Flotman Parish Council submitted a Neighbourhood Area application to South Norfolk Council. The area proposed was the whole of the civil parish and, in accordance with Town and Country Planning, England - Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, South Norfolk Council confirmed the designation. The Parish Council is the relevant body for preparing the Neighbourhood Plan.

Since that time, a steering group of volunteers, working on behalf of the Parish Council has been developing a proposed Neighbourhood Plan for the parish, which has involved extensive research and consultation with the community and other stakeholder bodies.

Newton Flotman Parish Council submitted the Neighbourhood Plan and other required documents to South Norfolk Council in February 2025. The submitted documents have been checked by the local planning authority against the relevant criteria in Schedule 4B of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 and were approved for publication.

In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations, 2012 (as amended), there followed a period of consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan, which took place between 10 March and 23 April 2025. A summary of the representations received during the consultation can be viewed in the documents section, below.

Mr Derek Stebbing was appointed to carry out an independent examination of the Plan following this consultation period. The examiner considered not only the submitted Neighbourhood Plan documents, but also the representations that were submitted during the consultation, and the responses to the examiner’s clarification note.

On 3 July 2025, the Examiner issued his final report. It contains a number of recommended modifications and states that, subject to these being implemented, the Newton Flotman Neighbourhood Plan meets the basic conditions and that it should proceed to a local referendum.

South Norfolk Council has subsequently issued a decision statement detailing its intention to send the Neighbourhood Plan to a referendum, subject to modifications being made as specified by the examiner.

The Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents can also be viewed in the documents section.

View the Neighbourhood Plan documents.