The plans allow people to decide the future development of their area, including where new homes and businesses should be built, what they should look like and if local infrastructure is needed.
Earlier this year, the government opened a neighbourhood planning support programme, including a fund allowing groups to apply for grants to help write their plans, pay for events to engage the local community, develop websites and pay for specialist planning expertise.
Local people can draw up neighbourhood plans which, once approved, councils are bound to consider as part of the planning process alongside the council’s own local plan for the area.
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The process involves putting the community in charge of planning power, from plan drafting to referendum stages.
So far, over 100 areas have approved neighbourhood planning referendums, with more than eight million people living in areas who have adopted the technique.
In 2014, almost 250,000 new homes were granted national planning permissions, with more than one million permissions granted for new homes since 2010.
In addition, the National House Building Council has said the number of new homes being registered so far this year is 9% higher than a year ago.
Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: "This government is continuing the huge shift of power from Whitehall to the town hall and to local people. More than 8 million people now live in areas that have had or will have their say on planning in their neighbourhood, and more areas are coming forward every day.
"We are scrapping the broken old planning system that pitted neighbours and developers against each other, and cornered people into opposing any development in their back yard.
"The 100 neighbourhood planning referendums show how our approach of getting the whole community working together is paying off, and breaking through local opposition."
(LM/MH)
