Please note that this page is hosted by Whitby Community Network for Whitby Town Council.
Whitby Parish Neighbourhood Plan
Work is under way on the Whitby Neighbourhood Plan and will likely continue into 2025.
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
The Whitby Neighbourhood Plan is a planning policy document written by the community to guide future development in the area over the next 15-20 years. It will set out planning policies for your area and can:
- Protect local green spaces.
- Encourage better designed places.
- Bring forward housing that genuinely meets local needs.
- Protect important heritage assets
- Support businesses and employment
- Improve infrastructure
The Plan will be written by the local community and will help get the right types of development, in the right place. In simple terms, it sits above the Local Plan (SBC 2011-2032, active until it is superceded by a Local Plan from NYC) to define specifics very local to a parish.
The Plan content will be based on feedback from the local community and the results of public consultations, but having regard to national and local policy and guidance.
If successful at referendum, the Neighbourhood Plan will become part of the statutory development plan for the area and will be used by North Yorkshire Council to determine future planning applications and by developers to shape and influence the design of their developments.
- Include policies specific to Whitby e.g. the design of new developments
- Protect existing community facilities e.g community buildings, playing fields etc
- Protect areas of land for conservation, biodiversity and landscape value
- Influence the type, location and design of new development
- Identify the need for specific projects or types of infrastructure
- Identify specific areas of land for specific purposes e.g. regeneration, new housing, employment development, transport solutions
- Provide evidence to support funding bids for specific projects
- Include policies that conflict with national policy or adopted Local Plan policy.
- Include requirements which are unreasonable and would make developement unviable.
- Change existing legislation e.g. building regulations or permitted development rights.
- Repeat or duplicate national or local policy.
- Promote less development than is proposed by the Local Plan.
- Stop all development or prevent planning applications from being submitted.
- Deal with non-planning matters such as speeding, parking restrictions, broadband or mobile phone signal.
Neighbourhood Plan area
Steering Group
The steering group is currently comprised of
- Joyce Stangoe (chair), Secretary of Whitby Community Network, and former Whitby Town Councillor;
- Cllr Heather Coughlan (deputy chair), Whitby Town Councillor and former Town Mayor;
- Cllr Chris Riddolls, Whitby Town Councillor;
- Andy Jefferson, trustee of Whitby & Esk Valley Active Travel and member of Whitby Community Network;
- Cllr Anne Brown, Whitby Town Councillor;
- Vicky Austin, chair of Green Lane Community Connections;
- Cllr Glenn Goodberry, Whitby Town Councillor;
- Cllr Jonathan Harston, Whitby Town Councillor;
assisted by
- Michael King, Whitby Town Council clerk;
- Andrea Long, consultant for Compasspoint Planning and Rural Services.
The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group is an advisory working group of the Planning Committee of Whitby Town Council.
The terms of reference of this group are to be found HERE.
If you wish to contact the steering group, please email them on WhitbyNeighbourhoodPlan@whitbytowncouncil.gov.uk
Steering Group Meetings
Participation / Consultation
In order to produce a plan that genuinely reflects the needs and opportunities of Whitby, the steering group will be seeking the opinion of residents at intervals. Please look out for and participate in our consultation and feedback events.
Vision for Whitby
The Neighbourhood Plan is guided by a vision statement. Whilst this vision will likely be updated as and when consultation with residents and other stakeholder groups takes place, our current vision is that at the end of the Neighbourhood Plan period Whitby will be a place :
- with a vibrant harbour which provides an important connection between the natural assets of the river and the sea;
- which provides a range of high quality, accessible, and affordable homes meeting the needs of its residents and key workers;
- which supports sustainable economic growth and responds positively to the challenges posed by a changing climate;
- with a variety of accessible and well-maintained green and blue spaces available for use by all sections of the community, for sport, for play, and to improve general well-being;
- providing well connected spaces, promoting access to sustainable modes of transport which connect people to a wide range of services, facilities and employment opportunities, as well as enhancing opportunities for safe and active travel and ensuring access for all;
- where car parking for residents, businesses and visitors is managed sensitively and integrates with wider connectivity;
- where the historic environment is valued and celebrated, and biodiversity is protected and enhanced;
- with a thriving town centre which contains a balance of uses with a strong retail, leisure and cultural base, with improved opportunities to live, work, shop and visit;
- which promotes future sustainability and encourages water and energy efficiency.
Stakeholder Survey
During March/April we conducted a stakeholder survey. This was to be found online HERE. This was open to everybody and was intended to get your general views on areas to tackle. This will help to define the direction of the Neighbourhood Plan. The responses received are visible HERE.
Thank you to everybody who took the time to participate.
Please note that in May 2023 Whitby Community Network’s “Vision for Whitby” asked similar questions, and we also have the data from that consultation here.