A new guide has been launched to give local councillors tips on how to plan for their neighbourhoods.

The Good Councillor's Guide to Neighbourhood Planning has been published by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and Locality, a national network of community organisations.

It is aimed at local councillors who are interested in finding out more about their role in neighbourhood planning or who belong to a council embarking on producing a plan for their area.

The Localism Act 2011 gave communities the right to shape development in their areas through the production of neighbourhood development plans and other initiatives which are detailed in the guide.

NALC chairman, Sue Baxter, said: ‘Given these rights have a huge bearing on how a council engages with its community to undertake the process it is vital that local councillors understand the key principles of neighbourhood planning in order to support their communities appropriately.

‘For these reasons Locality and NALC have worked together to produce this guide in order local councillors are equipped with the basic information to get them started.

‘However it does not stop here and there will be a need for councillors to find out more as the process unfolds.’

Local councils can access print copies of the The Good Councillor's guide to neighbourhood planning by contacting their local county association.