Hints For Cornwall Parishes Begining The Process

Where do we start?

Hint 1: Don't bother thinking about anything other than a "Neighbourhood Development Plan" for the area of your complete parish. If you look at the Cornwall Council web site under Neighbourhood Planning, you will see that no one else has. This is because any other structure has to create its own constitution, while a parish council already has one. Also neighbouring parishes you might join with are out of step, either ahead or behind in the process. Under the Localism Act 2011 there is an obligation, separate from Neighbourhood Planning, to cooperate with neighbouring areas, which makes sense anyway.
 
Hint 2: As soon as possible, get a letter and map off to Cornwall Council, applying for your parish to be a "neighbourhood plan area".  It takes about three months to get it approved, and applying for funding is a lot easier once it is approved.
 
Hint 3: Copy and adapt the documents of a similar successful parish. I've just seen the example of Tattenhall Parish Council, which Cornwall Council presented as an example. The Tattenhall Examiner's Report is particularly informative about what is a good process. 

Hint 4: Count back 26 to 40 weeks from when your referendum can coincide with a big election, (we are aiming for the probable General Election in May 2015), for when your final draft plan must be ready. It takes that long for Cornwall Council to consult, examine and organise the referendum, so that's the deadline.