North Northumberland village is inviting residents to have their say on proposed neighbourhood plan

The plan, which covers 17 planning policies, has been prepared by Belford Parish Council with the help of the local community and it seeks to address issues local people have identified as important in their area.

It outlines the vision for the village, which includes the statement that “by 2036, Belford will be a thriving, economically diverse and attractive rural hub serving the needs of local residents, businesses and visitors, growing its role as a springboard to the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Northumberland National Park as well as wider rural destinations”.

There is also a focus on building new homes that will be beneficial to those in the community and that services will be enhanced to support a larger population.

The plan has now been submitted to Northumberland County Council to go to examination and any person or organisation may comment on it or the supporting documents before a date next month.

In future, if the plan is adopted or ‘made’ it will form part of the statutory development plan for Northumberland, meaning that planning decisions in the parish will be made in line with policies in them, unless ‘material considerations’ indicate otherwise.

Coun Colin Horncastle, cabinet member with responsibility for community services at the county council, said: “Neighbourhood planning enables communities to play a much stronger role in shaping the areas in which they live and work and in influencing the location and design of development proposals.

“Finding out how local people want their area to develop in the future is vitally important to ensure the plan reflects local character and aspiration.

“We therefore hope people will participate in this consultation to ensure the policies contained in the neighbourhood plan are right for Belford.”

The county council is publicising the plan and inviting comments for a period of six weeks, which ends on Friday, May 19 at 5pm.

Any person or organisation may comment on the plan or supporting documents, which can be viewed via www.northumberland.gov.uk/ourplan

To comment, email [email protected] or write a letter to Belford Neighbourhood Plan, Neighbourhood Planning Team, Planning Services, County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF.