Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan gives the local community the opportunity to set out their vision for the place they live in, to agree the amount and location of housing and commercial development, influence decisions about the services like education and healthcare and infrastructure such as roads and parking that should be part of it.
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​Diss Town Council has prepared a multi-parish, cross-county Neighbourhood Plan with the surrounding parishes of Burston and Shimpling, Roydon and Scole (in South Norfolk District) and Brome and Oakley, Palgrave and Stuston (in Mid Suffolk District). It will be used to help guide and shape future development across the whole plan area.
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As each one is dependent on the others, those living and working in the area must have a say in how and where it should grow.​​​
Background
Diss Town Council (as the ‘qualifying body’) submitted the Diss and District Neighbourhood Plan (DDNP) and other required documents to both South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council in July 2022. A consultation, in accordance with Regulation 16 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations, 2012 (as amended), was subsequently carried out by both local planning authorities, which finished on 16 December 2022.
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Mr Andrew Ashcroft (Andrew Ashcroft Planning Ltd) was appointed to carry out an independent examination of the DDNP following this consultation period. This was able to proceed using the submitted Neighbourhood Plan documents, the made representations, and the responses from the DDNP Working Group and the two Councils on matters for clarification.
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On 19 May 2023, the Examiner issued his final report. It contains a number of recommended modifications and states that, subject to these being implemented, the DDNP meets the basic conditions and that it should proceed to a local referendum.
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South Norfolk Council and Mid Suffolk District Council subsequently issued a joint Decision Statement detailing their intention to send the Neighbourhood Plan to a referendum, subject to modifications being made as specified by the examiner.
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The referendum was held on 28 September 2023, where 84% of those voting did so in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan. Council approved the final plan on 16th October 2023.
Key Documents
Diss & District Neighbourhood Plan Final Version
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For older documents not listed including minutes, please contact the Town Council.
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Seven Parishes In Partnership
The DDNP Steering Group & Parish Info
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Most neighbourhood plans focus on a single parish, and the steering group usually comprises individuals from the local Parish Council plus volunteers from the wider community.
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The Diss and District Neighbourhood Plan is different in that it covers an area that comprises seven parishes, over two local authority areas. The steering group needs to be representative of this mix, and we therefore have representatives from each area, and the group is chaired by an independent District Councillor.
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Brome and Oakley​​​​​​
Burston and Shimpling​​​​​​
​Diss​​​​​​
Palgrave​​​​​​
​Roydon​​​​​​
Scole​​​​​
Stuston​​​​​