Status update January 2026

Our application for recognition as a Neighbourhood Forum (NF) was adopted on the 1st October 2025, however, almost immediately BCP Council decided to create a Poole Town Council. When the Town Council comes into being on 1st May the NF will be ‘dissolved’ and its powers will be assumed by the new Town Council. Whether they will have any interest in continuing to write a plan, depends entirely on who the three elected councillors are. It will be the new Town Councillors, not the members of the NF who can either make this a priority or decide not to proceed with it.

The Sandbanks Community Neighbourhood Plan, which is already in existence, will continue to be planning law, but be administered by the new Town Council.

About

A neighbourhood plan is a local planning document introduced as a result of the Localism Act 2011; it is a community-led framework for guiding future development, regeneration and conservation of a specific area, and helps a community 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 Sandbanks Peninsula, Poole Quays and Broadstone. They are already making a difference.

The process of developing and securing approval for a neighbourhood plan takes time. It might be three years or more before a plan gets approved, but the effort will be worthwhile.

The key steps in the process are:

• Designation of neighbourhood area and neighbourhood forum
• Preparation of a draft neighbourhood plan
• Publicity and consultation of a draft neighbourhood plan – Regulation 14 stage
• Submission of a draft neighbourhood plan to the local planning authority
• Independent examination
• Referendum and bringing the neighbourhood plan into force.

The Sandbanks Peninsula Neighbourhood Plan was adopted in July 2024 and has much relevance to the area of the proposed Lilliput Neighbourhood Forum; a copy can be viewed at the BCP Council website (link opens the pdf document)

Our Application

The first steps to developing a Lilliput Neighbourhood Plan is to seek designation as a Neighbourhood Forum and as a Neighbourhood Area with a distinct boundary. The Dorset Lake Community committee and members have formed a working group for this purpose, and prepared an application for combined designation on behalf of the proposed Lilliput Neighbourhood Forum (LNF); it is now being processed by BCP planning dept in accordance with the requirements set out in the Localism Act 2011.

This page will be updated when we have progress or other news to report.

The Sandbanks Peninsula Neighbourhood Plan was adopted in July 2024 and has much relevance to the area of the proposed Lilliput Neighbourhood Forum; a copy can be viewed at the BCP Council website (link opens the pdf document)

Lilliput Neighbourhood Area boundary

The proposed boundary is marked in red on the map below, which includes the addition of street names. Should you require a close-up view of the boundary detail please    Download the area Map as a pdf (1.5MB) and view it at 100%