BIRSTALL, WEST YORKSHIRE

Our place.
Our voice.
Our future.

The best place to start shaping Birstall’s future is with the people who know it best. You.

Have your say Discover the neighbourhood plan
LISTENING TO BIRSTALL 2026

Your everyday experiences can help shape our neighbourhood.

Explore the consultation

A LOCAL VOICE

A future shaped
by the people who live it.

Birstall Neighbourhood Forum brings local people together to help shape the Birstall Neighbourhood Plan. The Forum is a non-profit, non-party-political organisation, with a commitment to openness, inclusion and community-led decision-making.

Whether you live, work, study, run a business or spend time in Birstall, your experience belongs in the conversation.

YOUR FORUM COMMITTEE

Meet the team.

  • Joshua Sheard

    Chairman

  • Lyndsey Hepworth

    Deputy Chair

  • Rebecca Hague

    Forum Secretary

  • Liz Smaje

    Committee Officer

  • Ben Loveday

    Committee Officer

  • Richard Hodgson

    Committee Officer

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

From local voices
to a shared plan.

A community-led journey to help shape future development in Birstall. Here’s where we are and what comes next.

WE ARE HERE · STAGE 1Listening to Birstall

We’re gathering local views and building the evidence for our next step: applying for formal designation.

  1. CURRENT STAGE

    Listening to Birstall

    We’re listening to residents, businesses and community groups to understand what matters most. These conversations help build the evidence, local support and proposed neighbourhood area for our application to Kirklees Council.

    Take part in Listening to Birstall ↗

  2. FORMAL DESIGNATION

    Submission to the Council

    We’ll submit our application to Kirklees Council for the neighbourhood area and Forum to be formally designated. The Council will publicise the application, invite comments and decide whether it meets the requirements for designation.

  3. DEVELOPING THE PLAN

    Creating our Neighbourhood Plan

    Once designated, we’ll develop the evidence and work with local people to prepare a draft plan. Further engagement and formal consultation will help shape its priorities and planning policies before submission to the Council.

  4. EXAMINATION, REFERENDUM & ADOPTION

    Approval and a community vote

    The submitted plan goes through Council checks, further consultation and independent examination. If it meets the requirements, it proceeds to a local referendum. With a majority of votes in favour, and subject to the legal requirements, Kirklees Council formally adopts the plan so it can help guide planning decisions in our area.

OUR ESTIMATED TIMESCALE2–3 years

Our current estimate for the whole journey. Timing will depend on consultation, designation, examination and the referendum.

A YEAR OF LOCAL WORKDecember 2026

December 2026 will mark our first year of work towards a neighbourhood plan for Birstall.

Find out more: Kirklees Council’s neighbourhood planning guidance ↗

Listening to Birstall — Birstall Neighbourhood Forum

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Listening to Birstall.

Share what you value about Birstall, what could be better and what matters most to you. Your everyday experiences can help inform the neighbourhood plan.

You don’t need planning knowledge to take part. Visit the consultation page for the online questionnaire, drop-in sessions and help requesting a paper copy.

Visit the consultation

OPEN AND TRANSPARENT

Our key documents.

Read how the Forum works, the standards we follow and how you can take part.

BE PART OF BIRSTALL’S FUTURE

Join the Forum.
Stay in the loop.

Get involved in the Forum and hear about local updates, opportunities to take part and our monthly Birstall photo competitions.

Forum & newsletter sign-up

GET IN TOUCH

Make a complaint.

If you have a concern or wish to make a complaint about Birstall Neighbourhood Forum, please email us so we can review it and respond.

Email your complaint

This opens a draft in your email app. Review it and press Send to submit your complaint.

You can also email us directly at birstallforum@gmail.com.