Basic Conditions changes - opportunity to comment
Sections of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 will be coming into force on 25 March 2026. This is by virtue of The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 11 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026, which were made on 2 March 2025. In relation to neighbourhood plans and neighbourhood development orders, these sections amend the legal compliance and Basic Conditions requirements. Further details about the changes are explained in the letters below.
Due to the changes to the requirements in the legislation, the independent Examiner, Mr Andrew Freeman, has requested that we advise any interested persons that they may, should they wish, comment on the Basic Conditions changes. Please note that there is no need to repeat representations that have already been made in relation to any other matters relating to the neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order. It is also not an opportunity to raise new matters that do not relate to these legal points.
If you do have any comments on the Basic Conditions changes in relation to the Blacon Neighbourhood Plan or Blacon Neighbourhood Development Order, please submit them by 5pm on Wednesday 1 April 2026:
- Online at Blacon Neighbourhood Plan and Neighbourhood Development Order -Basic Conditions changes
- or by email to neighbourhoodplanning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
The Council responded to Mr Freeman's letters on 20 March:
The Neighbourhood Forum responded to Mr Freeman's letters on 24 March:
Regulations 17 and 18 - Examination
Cheshire West and Chester Council appointed Mr Andrew Freeman BSc (Hons) DipTP DipEM FRTPI as independent examiner of the neighbourhood plan (NP) and neighbourhood development order (NDO). He will consider the plan and all comments made.
Mr Freeman wrote to the Council and the Qualifying Body (Blacon Neighbourhood Forum) on 19 February 2026 with some questions and to clarify some initial procedural matters:
Cheshire West and Chester Council responded to Mr Freeman's questions on 3 March:
Blacon Neighbourhood Forum responded to Mr Freeman's questions on 12 March (after an agreed extension):
Mr Freeman wrote to the Council with a further question on the NDO on 11 March:
The Council responded to Mr Freeman's question on 16 March:
Regulation 16 - Neighbourhood Plan publicity stage consultation and Regulation 23 - Neighbourhood Development Order consultation
The proposed plan and Neighbourhood Development Order have now been submitted to Cheshire West and Chester Council and a period of publicity took place between Thursday 11 December 2025 and 5pm on Friday 30 January 2026. You can read all comments which were submitted during this period below:
Regulation 14 - Pre-submission consultation
The regulation 14 consultation ran from 25 March to 22 July 2025
Regulations 5, 6 and 7 - Neighbourhood Area designation
An application was made to designate Blacon Neighbourhood Alliance Neighbourhood Forum and Blacon Neighbourhood Area for the purposes of producing a Neighbourhood Plan for the area.
Following a six week consultation period, Blacon Neighbourhood Alliance Neighbourhood Forum and Blacon Neighbourhood Area were designated on 22 August 2023.
- Blacon Neighbourhood Forum - delegated report (PDF, 1.01MB)
- Blacon Neighbourhood Area - delegated report (PDF, 559KB)
- Blacon Neighbourhood Area map (PDF, 2.37MB)
- Blacon neighbourhood area and neighbourhood forum - application notice (PDF, 497KB)
The secretary of the Neighbourhood Forum can be contacted by email at secretary@blaconneighbourhoodalliance.co.uk