• Identify a vision for the area and set objectives for the next 5 to 20 years
• Provide detailed planning policies setting out for example, where new development should be located and how it should be designed
• Allocate sites for different types of development such as housing, retail and office space and designate areas of community greenspace
• Identify key areas for improvement and set out proposals for them
• Neighbourhood Plans will be subject to consultation, examination and a referendum, and once adopted form a part of the statutory development plan for Wigan
• An adopted Neighbourhood Plan carries significant weight in determining development proposals for the local area, as a result, there are a number of legal requirements that the plan must meet

• Have appropriate regard to national planning policy
• Be in general conformity to the strategic policies in the Wigan Local Plan and Greater Manchester Spatial Framework
• Contribute to the achievement of sustainable development
• Be compatible with environmental obligations, as incorporated in UK law
• Be compatible with human rights requirements

Neighbourhood planning gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. They are able to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead.
Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to plan for the types of development to meet their community’s needs and where the ambition of the neighbourhood is aligned with the strategic needs and priorities of the wider local area. WLCC (as Abram Ward Community Cooperative) developed a Neighbourhood Plan Forum for Abram Ward in 2015 and helped to establish ACT (Abram Communities Together) as the designated Neighbourhood Plan Forum for Abram ward.