Producing a neighbourhood plan is, frankly, a lot of work. The existing plan took effect in 2018 after four years spent finding out what residents wanted, writing policies and then testing them through further consultation – and then obtaining approval by Camden and by voters in a public referendum.
We decided nearly three years ago that we needed to ensure that the plan’s policies still had the support of residents. Also, we felt that the need for sustainable development had become even more urgent.
Therefore, we wrote additional policies to encourage retrofitting – the use of energy-saving technologies in refurbishing Hampstead’s mostly 19th century housing. Clearly, there is a balance to be struck between such technologies, such as heat pumps, solar panels and insulation, and maintaining Hampstead’s exceptional heritage.
In addition, we sought to enhance the natural environment by strengthening biodiversity corridors – an important innovation in the original plan. We have also introduced language on considerate construction and on strategic sites that might come up for development in the next few years.
All these additions were strongly supported when we consulted residents.
The aim of neighbourhood planning, set up by the Localism Act 2011, was to give communities a greater say in shaping their neighbourhoods. Policies have statutory force, meaning that planning applications must follow them.
A Neighbourhood Plan cannot do everything – it has no power, for example, over traffic and which shops come to Hampstead. However, it brings together residents’ overall vision for the area, and therefore does have some broader influence.
Also important for residents is a sense of community. Recently, the forum co-hosted a series of ‘climate cafés’ with local churches for people to express their feelings about climate change. In 2025, with the detailed work on the new plan behind us, we intend to strengthen our network of contacts with local bodies that do fantastic work for the Hampstead community.
We wish all Hampstead residents a very happy new year.
- Alexander Nicoll is chair of the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum. www.hampsteadforum.org
