Neighbourhood planning enables neighbourhood forums and parish or town councils to exercise planning powers and work with their local community to prepare a neighbourhood plan for their area. 

In November 2022, three neighbourhood forums namely Boscombe and Pokesdown, Broadstone and Poole Quays applied to the council to renew their designation as a qualifying body for a further five years, for the purpose of neighbourhood planning in their respective neighbourhood area. We ran public consultations on all three applications between 10 November and 22 December 2022. This was published on our consultation website. From the feedback and comments received to each consultation, there was a high level of support for all three forums to continue to operate and the applications have been approved for a further five years, to January 2028.