‘The power given to a local planning authority by section 61G(5) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as inserted) to determine whether a specified area was “an appropriate area” to be designated as a neighbourhood area necessarily conferred on the authority a broad discretion. The purpose of such designation was to define the area within which a neighbourhood forum (outside the area of a parish council) was authorised to exercise certain planning powers: the making of a neighbourhood plan and/or a neighbourhood development order, so that determining appropriateness might require regard to be had to a wide range of planning considerations.’
WLR Daily, 6th March 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
