Purpose

To consider a Neighbourhood Planning Grant application from Highclere Parish Council.

Decision

To award Highclere Parish Council £8,890 under the Neighbourhood Planning Grant Scheme to progress the Highclere Neighbourhood Plan through to adoption, and to draw up to this amount from the Neighbourhood Planning Reserve in line with the payment timings specified in the Legal Agreement.

Reasons for the decision

The Highclere Neighbourhood Plan (NP) has been under preparation since 2018.The designation of the area for the purposes of neighbourhood planning was made in November 2018, and in October 2024 the council undertook a screening for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). It is considered that the plan is significantly progressed, and grant funding would assist the parish council to complete the project.

Highclere Parish Council’s grant application is supplemented by a quote prepared by planning consultancy PlanET setting out a range of tasks required to take the NP through to adoption. Whilst the Parish Council is eligible to receive up to£10,000, as it meets the relevant eligibility criteria of allocating sites to meet its housing need in full, following an assessment of spend proposals against each of the more detailed eligibility criteria, a reduced amount is supported. The list of costs which can be covered by the grant is set out in the eligibility criteria on the NP grant scheme webpage.

Alternative options considered

The council could decide not to award the grant or award a different value.