Neighbourhood Development Plan Referendum to take place in March 2024

A neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on Thursday 28^th March 2024 in Long Marston.  

Voters within the Neighbourhood Plan Area will go to the polls to vote if Stratford-on-Avon District Council should use the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for Long Marston to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

To vote in this referendum residents within the neighbourhood plan area of the Long Marston NDP must be registered to vote and be 18 or over on the day of the poll.

Residents within the Neighbourhood Plan Area must be registered to vote by Tuesday 12th March 2024 to vote in the referendum. You can check if you are registered to vote by calling 01789 260208.

The Polling Station for this referendum is:

• Long Marston Village Hall, Welford Road, Long Marston CV37 8RG

Counting for the Neighbourhood Planning Referendum will also take place on Thursday 28^th March 2024, following the close of poll.

The referendum will be asking whether the community wish to see the District Council use the Neighbourhood Development Plan to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

Several 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 here. 

The Long Marston Neighbourhood Plan

The Long Marston Neighbourhood Development Plan was independently examined between August and October 2023 and the Examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the Plan should proceed to referendum.

The District Council has issued a Decision Statement on the Long Marston Neighbourhood Plan and the Portfolio Holder for 'Planning and Economic Development' at the District Council has endorsed the recommendation to proceed to referendum. The referendum will be asking whether the community wish to see the District Council use the Neighbourhood Development Plan to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

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.

The documents are available on the District Council website, as detailed above.

 Alternatively, a printed version of the specified documents is available for inspection at:

• Stratford-on-Avon District Council Offices at Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX. Opening hours are Monday - Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.
• Stratford-upon-Avon Library, 12 Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6PZ. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm and Saturday 10.00am to 3.00pm
• The Poppin Village Store, 14 Jacksons Orchard, Main Street, Long Marston, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 8RU. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am-12pm.

If you have difficulty accessing any of the documentation, please call the Planning Policy team at the District Council on 01789 267575 who will be able to assist.

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 Development Plan will have to generally conform to the Development Plan produced by the District Council.