Stratford-on-Avon District's ninth neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on Thursday 6 September 2018, when voters in Shipston-on-Stour parish will go to the polls to respond to the question: "Do you want Stratford-on-Avon District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Shipston-on-Stour to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"
To vote in this referendum residents of the parish of Shipston-on-Stour must be registered to vote at local government elections and be 18 or over on the day of poll.
The polling stations, which will be open from 7am to 10pm, will be at The Sheldon Bosley Hub Limited, Pittway Avenue, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 4DQ and The Scout Hall, New Street, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 4EW.
The counting of the votes will be held immediately after the close of poll at The Sheldon Bosley Hub Limited
To check you are on the Electoral Register and eligible to vote or to register please contact the District Council's Electoral Services on 01789 260208 no later than Monday 20 August.
The Shipston-on-Stour Neighbourhood Plan was independently examined last year between November 2017 and February 2018 and the Examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the Plan should proceed to referendum.
At The Cabinet meeting on 2 July Councillors agreed to progress the Plan to the next stage and go to referendum.
The referendum will be asking whether the community wish to see the District Council use the Neighbourhood Plan to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area (which is based on the Parish boundary).
In accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning (Referendum) Regulations 2012 (as amended) the Local Planning Authority must publicise the referendum for a minimum of 28 working days prior to the date of the referendum.
A number of documents (referred to as 'specified documents' in the Regulations) have been produced in order to help with the voting process. These specified documents can be viewed on the District Council's website on the page dedicated to the Shipston Neighbourhood Plan at https://www.stratford.gov.uk/shipstonnp
Alternatively, these documents may be inspected at:
The District Council offices at Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX, during normal opening hours - Monday - Wednesday 8.45am to 5.15pm and Thursday - Friday 8.45am to 5pm.
Shipston-on-Stour Town Council office: New Clark House, West Street, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 4EL
Stratford-upon-Avon Library, 12 Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6PZ. Opening hours - Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.
Shipston library, 12 Church Street, Shipston-on-Stour CV36 4AP Opening hours Monday and Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm and 13.30pm to 5.30pm. Closed Wednesday and Sunday
Neighbourhood planning is a key component of the Government's Localism Act, introducing a new tier of planning. The Localism Act devolves greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods, giving local people new rights to shape the development of the communities in which they live by taking a more active role in the development of planning policy at a local level.
The Act makes it clear that a Neighbourhood Plan will have to generally conform to the Development Plan produced by the District Council.
