Sandbanks Neighbourhood Forum

Sandbanks Neighbourhood Forum was set up as an unincorporated association with the support of Sandbanks Community Group to develop a Neighbourhood Plan for the Sandbanks peninsula.

We have developed our Neighbourhood Plan which will help protect the unique character and heritage of Sandbanks for the benefit of residents, local businesses and the many visitors we welcome from all over the world, while embracing fresh ideas and sustainable development in the locality.

On 20 December 2019 BCP Council designated Sandbanks Neighbourhood Forum as a statutory forum and Sandbanks as a neighbourhood plan area. 

On 2nd June 2023, the Plan was cleared by BCP Council to proceed to public consultation and over 55 responses were received before the closing date of 30th September 2023. The independent examiner was very impressed and described the response as 'exceptional'.

The examiner produced his report in early December 2023 and the agreed plan has now been passed back to BCP Council for Cabinet approval, probably in April 2024.

The last hurdle is to hold a referendum of eligible voters in the NP area in Spring 2024 and provided more than 50% of votes cast are in favour, then it becomes Law and sits as official planning policy alongside the BCP Local Plan.

A neighbourhood plan is a way of helping local communities to influence planning decisions in the area in which they live and work. It can be used to:

• develop a shared vision for a neighbourhood
• choose where new homes, shops, offices and other developments should be built
• identify and protect important local open spaces and amenities
• influence what new buildings should look like and how they should be positioned

A number of areas around the UK have already established neighbourhood plans and in our locality there are plans in place for Poole Quay and Broadstone. They are already making a difference.

The whole point of a neighbourhood plan is that it is community led and functions as a Statutory Consultee on all planning applications within the NP Area, rather like a Parish Council.

The forum has talked to residents, businesses and visitors to understand what people feel are the most important features of Sandbanks and what vision we all have for maintaining or improving them. A lot of information has been gathered and consultation events held.

We are now looking for volunteers from the community who can spare a little of their time to help on the Committee.

The aim would be for the committee to meet monthly either virually, or in person, to consider all planning applications lodged or decided in that month.

Should the Forum wish to respond to particular planning applications then the committee, and its advisers, would decide the content of the response.

The current committee is:

Paul De Cordoba (chairman), Susannah Nettleton, Alison Sepping, Tiffany Chawner, Anthony Vickery, Norman Allenby-Smith, Alan Lester and Martin Stanley.

If you would like to be involved in shaping the future of Sandbanks please contact sandbanksNP.forum@gmail.com.

Everyone who lives or works on Sandbanks can become a member of the forum. There is no charge for being a member and by joining us you will have a voice in guiding the development of the neighbourhood plan for Sandbanks.

If you would like to become a member please send a message to membership.snf@gmail.com . Existing members of SCG can become forum members just by being opted-in to the mailing list.