FAQs

It's a community-led planning document that sets out planning policies for a specific neighbourhood, guiding future development and addressing local needs. 

Neighbourhood Planning is a process which enables communities to have a shared vision and a stronger role in the shaping of their areas. The result is a statutory planning document which must be taken into consideration when local planning decisions are made. 

It is worth noting that one advantage of having an adopted Neighbourhood Plan is that the community receives a larger share of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from chargeable developments, paid to the Town Council. The share increases from 15% (for communities without a Plan) to 25% once a Plan is in place. 

The former Purbeck District Council prepared the Swanage Local Plan (SLP) jointly with Swanage Town Council and the Swanage Town & Community Partnership. This was formally adopted by the former District Council In June 2017. The SLP sets out a vision for Swanage and provides the strategy for the delivery of development and supporting infrastructure within Swanage. 

However, it only covers the period to 2027, and with Dorset Council’s new Dorset Local Plan underway and currently being consulted upon (which will supersede both the SLP and the Purbeck Local Plan once adopted), it is now time to look ahead and consider replacing the SLP with a Neighbourhood Plan to guide development and infrastructure for at least the next 15 years.

To ensure the Draft Plan is shaped by the community's input, reflects their vision, and is deliverable. 

We are therefore inviting all residents, businesses, landowners, and other stakeholders in Swanage to provide us with their feedback on the proposal for a Swanage Neighbourhood Plan via the survey.

It sets out a community’s vision, policies, and priorities for land use and development in their neighbourhood. This can cover housing, transport links, environment, heritage protection, and community facilities. It can also:

• Protect valued local green spaces 
• Help deliver the right development in the right places
• Encourage better designed buildings and developments 
• Promote climate change mitigation
• Support new community facilities
• It is prepared by the local community, usually led by the town or parish council and must be endorsed by residents at a local referendum before it can be adopted
• Once adopted, it means that future development proposals in the town will need to demonstrate how they meet the requirements set out in the policies of the Neighbourhood Plan.

The Plan can only include policies that relate to the use of land. It cannot influence matters outside the planning system, such as public transport provision or access to doctors or dentists. It also cannot override the Dorset Local Plan.

The Neighbourhood Plan must align with the strategic policies of Dorset Council’s Local Development Plan (as Local Planning Authority), which includes the Dorset Local Plan, but it can also add more detailed policies specific to the Swanage Neighbourhood Area. 

At present, when adopted, Neighbourhood Plans form part of the statutory Development Plan for the Dorset Council area. This means they will sit alongside adopted Local Plans (including the Swanage Local Plan, and Purbeck Local Plan) and be considered in deciding whether or not planning permission should be given. 

However, Neighbourhood Plans that are adopted after the adoption of the new Dorset Council Local Plan will become part of this plan.

Further information from Dorset Council >> Neighbourhood plans in Dorset - Dorset Council

Once the survey closes, we carefully review all feedback received. This feedback helps us to inform the next round of formal consultation, and to develop the Draft Swanage Neighbourhood Plan, reflecting the views and needs of the community.

This formal consultation is known as Regulation 14. During this stage:

• The Draft Plan is shared with the community and statutory consultees (such as local authorities and environmental bodies).
• Consultation responses are recorded and considered in detail.

Following the Regulation 14 consultation:

• We make any final changes to the Draft Plan based on the feedback received.
• The final version of the Draft Plan is then submitted to Dorset Council for further formal consultation prior to being submitted for independent examination.

This process ensures that the Plan is robust, community-led, and ready to move towards a local referendum and adoption by Dorset Council, if more than 50% of those voting support the Plan.

Further details of the Neighbourhood Planning process can be found here:        

 >> Neighbourhood Planning how to and useful links - Dorset Council

A Neighbourhood Plan typically covers a period of around fifteen years, with regular reviews to ensure it remains up to date (e.g. every five years, or when there are any changes in Dorset/national policies which may prompt a review of the Plan).

No. Neighbourhood Plans must be in accordance with Dorset Council’s Local Development Plan and cannot block development. The Plan must support sustainable growth while shaping how and where it happens.

The preparation of the Swanage Neighbourhood Plan is being led by the Swanage Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group. This is a sub-committee of the Town Council’s Planning and Consultation Committee which has the following objective: ‘To ensure the production of a Draft Neighbourhood Plan, which defines the planning priorities identified by the community, taking into account all representations made during the plan making process and having regard to all relevant existing plans and evidence’. The Steering Group comprises of six town councillors and up to six community representatives with relevant skills and experience, although only town councillors have voting rights. Currently the Steering Group’s community representatives include members of Sustainable Swanage, Planet Purbeck, the Purbeck Society and the Swanage Community Housing Group. 

Over the past eighteen months, the Steering Group has been undertaking research and gathering evidence in order to create a list of policy ideas for the Draft Neighbourhood Plan.

There is currently a vacancy for a community member to join the Swanage Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee. If you are passionate about the future of Swanage, have relevant skills and experience, and would like to play an active role in shaping local planning and development, we would love to hear from you.

To be considered, please submit your contact details along with a brief summary of any relevant experience, skills, or local knowledge you feel would benefit the work of the Steering Committee to admin@swanage.gov.uk

The Draft Swanage Neighbourhood Plan is likely to contain allocations of land for new housing development. However, Dorset Council is proposing that the Dorset Local Plan will also contain residential site allocations, and it has decided to consult Dorset residents on these potential sites at the same time as the Swanage Neighbourhood Plan survey is live. Dorset Council felt unable to share information about the content of its consultation material prior to its publication on 18^th August and therefore it was decided that no sites for residential development should be included in the Neighbourhood Plan survey to avoid the confusion that would arise from two organisations seeking the views of local residents on different site lists simultaneously. 

If the Draft Neighbourhood Plan does allocate sites for housing, it is anticipated that these proposals will be informed by comments received via Dorset Council’s consultation. A further survey of local residents may also be arranged by the Town Council. The Draft Plan itself will be the subject of consultation prior to being submitted for inspection and ultimately being the subject of a referendum.

This is explained in the current Swanage Local Plan, adopted in 2017, which states as follows: ‘Swanage Town Council is keen to explore options for the delivery of predominantly affordable housing for people with a local connection, or Swanage key workers.'

The Town Council is open to exploring the possibility of developing the Prospect Allotments site for a housing scheme comprising mainly affordable housing, but possibly with a small element of market housing if this would help with the viability of the development’. The plan confirms that ‘Any area of the existing allotments which would be lost to development would need to be replaced in advance of such development. The replacement allotments could be provided at one or several appropriate locations, but these would need to be at least equivalent in size to the area lost’. 

The bar for development of housing on this site is high, and any planning application would have to address the following matters, amongst others: that any development would not result in an unacceptably adverse impact on the Dorset National Landscape (formerly AONB); that the housing would meet an established need which cannot otherwise be met; and that the number, character and design of the properties are appropriate to the location.

Swanage Town Council put forward North Beach Car Park for inclusion in the Neighbourhood Plan Survey in order to understand local residents’ views about the principle of future development on this site. The Town Council has sought professional advice to better understand the potential for development of this property, and that has highlighted a number of significant constraints, including the need to retain access to the Football Club and the Coastguard Station.

The Town Council has no firm proposals to dispose of this land for an alternative use, and it will most likely remain as a car park. However, the Council agreed at meetings in January 2024 and April 2025 that the site should be included in this survey so that local residents can express their views in principle about the potential for a leisure, retail or hospitality development on this site. 

Were the site to be disposed of any proceeds would be used to fund a community project, such as the seafront stabilisation works or the provision of new sporting facilities at Day’s Park.

As part of the Town Council’s proposed Green Seafront Stabilisation and Enhancement Scheme, one option is that part of the greenspace next to The Spa beach huts is used to provide additional beach huts. The full detail of these proposals are set out here: Green Seafront New Option PDF

This is only one option, which may not proceed, however, as it would involve a change of use of part of this land it has been included in the survey so that residents can provide their comments.