Stratford-on-Avon District's eleventh neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on 11 October 2018, when voters in Wellesbourne and Walton 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 Wellesbourne and Walton to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"
To vote in this referendum residents of the parish of Wellesbourne and Walton must be registered to vote in the Local Government elections and be 18 or over on the day of poll.
The polling station, which will be open from 7am to 10pm, will be at Wellesbourne Village Hall, School Road, Wellesbourne, CV35 9NH.
The counting of the votes will be held immediately after the close of poll at the same location.
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 Tuesday 25 September.
The Wellesbourne and Walton Neighbourhood Plan was independently examined between January and April this year and the Examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the Plan should proceed to referendum.
At The Cabinet meeting on 30 July 2018 Councillors agreed to progress the Plan to the next stage and go to referendum.
The referendum will be asking whether the community wishes 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 Wellesbourne and Walton Neighbourhood Plan at https://www.stratford.gov.uk/wellesbournenp.
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 to Wednesday 8.45am to 5.15pm and Thursday to Friday 8.45am to 5pm.
Wellesbourne and Walton Parish Council Office: 2 School Road, Wellesbourne, CV35 9NH, during normal opening hours - Monday to Wednesday 2.00pm to 4.40pm and Thursday to Friday 9.15am to 12.15pm.
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.
Wellesbourne Library & Information Centre, Kineton Road, Wellesbourne, CV35 9NF during normal opening hours - Monday and Saturday 9.30am to 12.30pm; Wednesday and Friday 9.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5.30pm.
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.
