Parishioners have taken a big step towards having a greater say on planning issues after council chiefs agreed to designate the St Stephen parish a Neighbourhood Area.

St Albans District Council agreed last week to allocate the existing boundaries of St Stephen Parish Council as a Neighbourhood Area.

It means the council can begin drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan, which provides a framework for what future development is considered acceptable within the parish.

Parish council chairman Mike Freeman said: “We are very pleased as that’s the first step and now we can progress to develop our plan.

“Growth will continue to happen but what we are hoping to achieve is how that growth occurs, where it occurs and with some control over what it all will look like.”

Neighbourhood planning was born out of the Localism Act, which introduced new development tools for community groups.

With a Neighbourhood Plan, the parish can indicate its preferred locations for homes, roads, community buildings and businesses.

It can also provide guidance on issues such as the protection of heritage sites.

St Albans District Council retains the power to make decisions on individual planning applications but it must take into account a Neighbourhood Plan, once it has been ratified.

Councillor Freeman said: “That’s the next step, we are looking at a variety of issues for our plan and we have the support from residents.

“The preservation of the Green Belt, transport and leisure facilities are among those. We need people to sign up and put forward their ideas and then we can act on that.

“We can’t dictate what residents want, so we are appealing to them to come forward and have their say. We want as many people as possible to get involved in this.”

To have your say on the St Stephen Parish Neighbourhood Plan, contact the parish clerk Juliet Pienaar on 01923 681443.

You can also email clerk@ststephenparishcouncil.gov.uk.