Pre-Tender Market Engagement - Neighbourhood Planning and Community Right to Build

The purpose of this early engagement is to give:

• The neighbourhood planning community the opportunity to reflect on the Authority's current support offer to neighbourhood planning groups and for the Authority to understand what is working well and what the Authority might do differently in any future contract; and

• Advance notice that the Authority will be looking for a Potential Supplier to operate across the whole of England to deliver the next tranche of support for 2018-21 (tbc) The Potential Supplier will be a community engagement specialist who is able to offer advice, support and professional expertise to communities preparing neighbourhood plans.

Background: Neighbourhood planning came into effect in 2012 through the Localism Act 2011 and represented a radical shift of power to communities by allowing them to create statutory planning policy in neighbourhood plans and to grant planning permission through neighbourhood development orders and community right to build orders.

The Authority are currently supporting neighbourhood planning across England through a £22.5 million support programme. Demand and take up of the 2015-18 support contract has been high so far with over 1,700 grants worth over £9m awarded to groups. All groups can apply for a grant of up to £9,000. A further £6,000 and technical support is available to priority groups, including those in urban and more deprived areas. The programme has also delivered resources, tools and case studies focussed on the process of creating a neighbourhood plan.

Neighbourhood planning is a key ministerial priority and has support from across Whitehall. The Authority has a driving focus to increase housing supply and make it easier for the 86% of people who say they want to own their own home, to achieve that aspiration.

Early findings suggest that when communities get a say over how their area is developed they recognise the benefits that appropriate development can bring.

Neighbourhood planning continues to be a successful policy area with over 2,000 areas having started the process and over 250 plans now 'in force'. However, most communities would struggle to progress neighbourhood plans and orders without access to funding and support. The cost of preparing a plan will vary depending on the neighbourhood area itself, the complexity and scope of the proposed plan and the capacity of the local group to undertake the work themselves.

The services will be carried out in England only.

Please refer to the 'Attachments' section for the latest updates on pre-tender market engagement activity and how to participate.

Additional information: Update 06/03/17 - Following receipt of completed Pen-Pic Templates, a potential supplier networking database has now been added to the list of attachments.

Update 30/01/17 - As part of on-going pre-tender market engagement activity, and following the recent supplier event, we now attach a copy of the following documents for information:

• Slides presented by DCLG at the supplier event; • Questions and answers recorded during the supplier event; • Potential Supplier Pen-Pic Template.

No down-selection of Potential Suppliers will take place as a consequence of any responses or interactions relating to this pre-tender market engagement activity, and no information provided by a Potential Supplier will be carried forward, used or acknowledged in any way for the purpose of evaluating the Potential Supplier in any subsequent formal procurement process.

Please note that the general conditions regarding pre-tender market engagement continue to apply.