Neighbourhood Plan Regulation 16 Public Consultation Now Open
Braintree District Council has now formally opened the Regulation 16 Public Consultation for the Finchingfield and Wethersfield Neighbourhood Plan, marking an important milestone in the formal planning process.
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a community led planning document that helps shape how the local area develops in the future. Once adopted, it becomes part of the statutory Development Plan used when planning applications are considered. It can help guide matters such as housing location and design, protection of valued community assets and green spaces, support for local businesses, transport improvements, and wider local priorities.
What is Regulation 16?
Regulation 16 is the formal statutory public consultation stage in the Neighbourhood Planning process. At this stage, the submitted draft Plan is published by the local planning authority, allowing residents, businesses, statutory consultees, and other interested parties to make final formal representations before the Plan proceeds to independent examination.
This consultation follows substantial work by the Neighbourhood Plan Team, including review of comments received during earlier consultation stages and refinement of the draft Plan.
The consultation is open until 5.00pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026.
Please note that this consultation is being administered entirely by Braintree District Council, and all formal comments must be submitted directly to them.
The draft Plan can be viewed online via:
• Braintree District Council consultation portal
• Finchingfield & Wethersfield Neighbourhood Plan website
Hard copies are available at:
• Wethersfield Shop
• Freshwell Health Centre, Finchingfield
• Braintree District Council Offices
What happens next?
Once the consultation closes, the draft Plan and all submitted representations will be reviewed by an independent examiner, who will assess whether the Plan meets the necessary legal requirements and planning policy standards.
If successful, the Plan will proceed to a local referendum, where eligible local electors will be invited to vote on whether the Plan should be adopted. If supported by a majority vote, it will formally become part of the planning framework for the area.
Alongside the formal Neighbourhood Plan process, both Parish Councils continue progressing wider actions identified through the Plan’s broader community work, including matters such as community assets, local business support, public transport, footways, and local safety improvements.