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Neighbourhood planning

Neighbourhood planning

Overview

Neighbourhood planning gives you, and other people in your community, the power to work together to shape your local area. It allows you and your community to help:

  • choose where new homes, shops and offices are built
  • influence how buildings look and what infrastructure should be provided
  • grant planning permission for developments the community wants for the area

For this to happen you must first apply to the council to set up a ‘neighbourhood forum’ and define the boundaries of a ‘neighbourhood area’. We have more information on the key-stages in creating a neighbourhood forum.

Neighbourhood forums have three tools to shape development in their neighbourhood area.

  • Neighbourhood development plans - which set out local planning policies for their area which will be used to help decide on planning applications.
  • Neighbourhood development orders - that grant planning permission for a particular development.
  • Community right to build orders - that identify land for new development.

If you are thinking of setting up a neighbourhood forum, contact our planning policy team.

Neighbourhood forums in Brent

There are currently three designated neighbourhood forums in Brent. These are Harlesden, Kilburn and Sudbury. Harlesden and Sudbury have neighbourhood plans adopted by Brent Council.

Forums must apply to renew their status every five years.

Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum

Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum (HNF) designation

The Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum (HNF) successfully applied to renew its forum designation in 2021.

Harlesden Neighbourhood Area is located within Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham. The London Borough of Brent and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) are its local planning authorities.

The forum’s designation expires on 7 April 2026. The HNF will need to apply for its renewal if it wishes to continue after this.

The HNF’s 2021 application includes details of its:

  • written constitution
  • neighbourhood area
  • contact details

In 2024, the Forum applied to amend their designated forum boundary. This was approved on 12/08/2024. Read details of this decision, including the application material, and a map showing the boundary.

Harlesden Neighbourhood Plan

A referendum on the Harlesden Neighbourhood Plan was held on 30 May 2019. The turnout was 11%, with 90% of people voting in favour of the plan. View the full results.

View the adopted plan and its adoption statements:

Sudbury Neighbourhood Forum

Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Forum was designated on 8 April 2024.

More information will follow including links to the forum’s website and programme of activities will be placed on the Council’s website once the forum starts in earnest. 

It replaced The Sudbury Town Residents’ Association (STRA) whose status as a Neighbourhood Forum expired in December 2022.

Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Plan

A referendum on the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Plan was held on 10 September 2015. The turnout was 16.4%, with 94% of people voting in favour. View full results.

View the adopted plan: 

Kilburn Neighbourhood Forum

The Kilburn Neighbourhood Forum (KNF) applied to renew its forum designation in 2021. Following consultation, a decision was made to re-designate in 2022.

Kilburn Neighbourhood Area is located within the boroughs of Brent and Camden.  The forum’s designation expires in Brent on 21 January 2027. The KNF will need to apply for its renewal if it wishes to continue after this.

The KNF’s 2021 application includes details of its:

  • written constitution
  • neighbourhood area
  • contact details.

Kilburn Neighbourhood plan

The draft Kilburn Neighbourhood Plan was submitted to Brent and Camden Councils in February 2025. The draft Plan will be subject to consultation by Brent and Camden Councils from 29 May 2025 to 11 July 2025. Find out more about the consultation and view the draft Plan and associated documents.

The next stages beyond this will be for an examiner to be appointed and an examination of the Plan to be held. If the examiner deems it appropriate, the final Plan will then be subject to referendum open to anyone resident in the area registered to vote in local elections. If the majority voting is in favour of the Plan, it will then be ‘made’ (adopted) by the respective Councils, and become part of the development plan used to determine planning applications.

Get involved in neighbourhood planning

Is neighbourhood planning right for you?

Before committing to the neighbourhood planning process, you should first consider what issues you want to tackle. Neighbourhood planning can help with things like designating land use or influencing the design of buildings. There may already be policies in place in the London Plan or Brent Local Plan to deal with your issue.

How to apply

The first step is to contact our planning policy team and we will guide you through the process. We will meet with you and your group to discuss your needs and answer any questions you have.

Contact our planning policy team at planningstrategy@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 5210.

To apply to set up a neighbourhood forum, groups must meet certain criteria including having:

  • a name, membership details and written constitution for the proposed neighbourhood forum
  • details and map of the neighbourhood area to which the application relates

View the full application requirements for a neighbourhood forum and area (.pdf, 213.9kB)

Keep in mind that neighbourhood forums need to be representative of your local community. You will need to consider how to involve a wide range of people, both in the forum and in preparing the plan.

We can consider joint applications for a neighbourhood forum and neighbourhood area at the same time.

Defining your neighbourhood area

There is no fixed definition or size threshold for a neighbourhood area. A workable boundary is likely to emerge through discussions with the local community, the council and from walkabouts.

The boundary may also be defined by issues connected to a particular conservation area or town centre. Neighbourhood areas can cross borough boundaries but cannot overlap with another neighbourhood area.

Key stages in creating a Neighbourhood Forum and plan

Here is an overview of the steps involved. Our neighbourhood planning protocol has a full explanation of the necessary steps.

  1. Step 1 - Submit a joint application to create a neighbourhood forum and area

    Once you have discussed and submitted your application, it will be subject to a six-week consultation before a decision is made on designation. 

  2. Step 2: Draft your local neighbourhood plan

     As a designated neighbourhood forum you can now prepare a draft neighbourhood plan for your area.

    This stage includes engagement and consultation with those living and working in the neighbourhood area to help develop the plan.

  3. Step 3: Submit your local neighbourhood plan

    Next, you need to submit your draft plan to the council. A six-week consultation on the plan will then take place to gather people’s views on the plan.

  4. Step 4: Examination of your plan

    An independent examiner is appointed. Documents and consultation responses are submitted for examination. The examiner then issues their report.

  5. Step 5: Referendum

    A referendum is held on the plan. If the majority of voters support the plan, the council considers it for adoption. Once adopted it becomes part of the council’s planning framework and guides development in the neighbourhood area alongside other Development Plan policies.

Support available to neighbourhood forums

These websites have a range of useful information, guidance and resources for neighbourhood forums:

Get involved in neighbourhood planning