The British Property Federation has launched a website to support business involvement in the neighbourhood planning process.
The website provides a comprehensive resource for those businesses keen to engage in the neighbourhood planning process and provides a range of business led case studies for inspiration.
The website will be unveiled this morning at a BPF seminar to discuss neighbourhood planning at the Tate Modern. Delegates will hear from Planning Minister Nick Boles MP who will say: “Neighbourhood planning is proving to be incredibly popular with communities around the country and has enormous potential to deliver homes and jobs. Businesses have a crucial role to play and this website will prove a useful resource for those firms eager to get involved and seek new opportunities to grow."
Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation said ahead of the event: “Neighbourhood plans are springing up all over the country and businesses should ensure that they are not left behind. Businesses have a crucial role to play in this important part of the planning process, whether leading a neighbourhood plan, development order, or taking part in a neighbourhood forum.”
Business neighbourhoods are already happening in areas such as Milton Keynes and Bankside which has the clear objective of developing a dynamic city centre based on high quality buildings. The Better Bankside Business Improvement District represents around 500 local businesses and Donald Hyslop, Chair of Better Bankside Business Improvement District said: “Unlike areas where neighbourhood planning can help unlock growth, here opportunities for growth are ever present. Like other community stakeholders Better Bankside’s involvement acknowledges that the market left to its own devices wouldn’t necessarily deliver the mix and balance that residents and businesses want to see in our neighbourhood – working together on the neighbourhood plan can help to set a vision for the ambitions we all share for this neighbourhood.”
Nigel Hughes BSc FRICS, The Estate Surveyor, Grosvenor will tell delegates: “Wherever we work, we always work with the local community and whether on our London estates or elsewhere, community relationships are pivotal. Neighbourhood planning is a key part of building those relationships and with businesses now being given the opportunity to directly participate in creating neighbourhood plans, the new BPF website is to be welcomed.”