Section 1: Introduction to the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan

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1.1 
This document is the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan (“the Plan”). It sets out planning and land-use policy for the Hoe Neighbourhood Area over the period 2024 to 2034 and has been written to form part of the adopted development plan for Plymouth (Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan).

1.2 
The Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan sets out a range of non-strategic policies that will guide planning decisions made by the local planning authority in respect of the designated neighbourhood area for the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum (termed the “Hoe Neighbourhood Area” throughout this document).

1.3 
The Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan makes use of powers that were brought about by the Localism Act 2011 and its subsequent regulations. They name designated neighbourhood forums as “qualifying bodies” that may produce a Neighbourhood Development Plan for their area. The intention is to ensure that Hoe residents have a greater say than they otherwise would have in the way that the area grows and changes. There is a desire to see development that reflects the needs of local people and brings benefit to the Hoe and to Plymouth.

1.4 
Plymouth City Council, as the local planning authority, designated the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum as an appropriate qualifying body required under Regulation 11 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 on 10 July 2017 and redesignated the Forum on 14 July 2022. The Hoe Neighbourhood Area covers the area designated by Plymouth City Council on 10 July 2017. Details of the application and its approval are available on the council's website. The Hoe Neighbourhood Area is shown on the map below.

Hoe Neighbourhood Area Boundary
Figure 1: The Hoe Neighbourhood Area

1.5 
The Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan has been prepared in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Localism Act 2011, and the Neighbourhood Development Planning Regulations 2012 (as amended). The Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, as the qualifying body, set up a Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group comprised of local volunteers from the community to lead on the preparation of the Plan. In consultation with the community, local businesses and others, the Steering Group has established a vision
and framework for the future of the Hoe Neighbourhood Area and set out how that vision will be realised through planning land use and development change over the period 2024 to 2034. This period has been chosen so that it is coterminous with the period of the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan 2014-2034.

1.6 
The Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan policies are written to form part of the development plan for Plymouth and must be considered by any interested parties wishing to submit planning applications for development within the Hoe Neighbourhood Area. The policies also set out how land should be considered (in planning terms) and are a material planning consideration in the determination of applications, alongside the policies of the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan.

1.7 
The process of producing the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan has sought to involve the local community as widely as possible, and the different topic areas reflect matters that are of considerable importance to local people. The Plan therefore takes heed of local people’s views, as expressed through various means of consultation and engagement, as well as taking account of evidence about needs, existing policies in the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework (which provides the framework for how Government sees the planning system in England working in practice with primary and secondary legislation) and National Planning Practice Guidance (which provides detailed policy guidance).

1.8 
The remainder of this document:

  • Provides information about the planning context
  • Gives an overview of the Hoe area
  • Outlines the Plan’s vision and objectives
  • Sets out each of the Plan policies and linked aspirations and actions
  • Identifies local community projects that are not met through planning policy
  • Sets out the Community Infrastructure Priorities
  • Comments on future monitoring and implementation work

1.9 
Within Section 5: Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan Policies, there is a summary of what each policy seeks to achieve and a justification that provides the necessary understanding of why the policy is needed and how it should be applied. The policies themselves are presented in highlighted boxes. To understand the full context for any individual policy, it should be read alongside the supporting text and evidence documents that have been compiled to underpin the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan. Links to the relevant evidence documents are provided for each policy.

1.10 
This document is accompanied by and should be read in conjunction with:

1.11 
Plymouth City Council has screened the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan to
ascertain whether a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is required. Their screening
opinion was subject to consultation with Historic England, Natural England, and the
Environment Agency. The Screening Determination Statement (published in July
2023) concluded that the Hoe Neighbourhood Development Plan is unlikely to result in
significant environmental effects and therefore does not require a Strategic
Environmental Assessment. In parallel, the screening opinion determined that the
‘appropriate assessment’ stage of the Habitats Regulations Assessment process,
which ascertains the effect on the integrity of the European Site, does not need to be
undertaken. This conclusion was sent to Natural England for consideration, who
agreed with this finding. Therefore, a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) is not required.
 

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