Wootton Wawen Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

Stratford-on-Avon District's sixth neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on 9 November 2017, when voters in Wootton Wawen 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 Wootton Wawen to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"  

To vote in this referendum residents of the parish of Wootton Wawen 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 The Sun Lounge, Wootton Hall, Wootton Wawen, B95 6EE  

The counting of the votes will be held immediately after the close of poll at the same venue.  

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 by 24 October 2017.    

Earlier this year the Wootton Wawen Neighbourhood Plan was independently examined and the Examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the Plan should proceed to referendum.  

At The Cabinet meeting on 11 September 2017 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 Wootton Wawen Neighbourhood Plan at https://www.stratford.gov.uk/planning-regeneration/woottonwawen-neighbourhood-plan.cfm  

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.

Wootton Wawen Parish Council c/o Mrs Jackie Chapman, Clerk to the Parish Council, Parish Office, Wootton Wawen Village Hall, Alcester Road, Wootton Wawen, B95 6AY.  

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.  

Henley Community Library, The Old School Room, Henley-in-Arden Methodist Church, 115 High Street, Henley-in-Arden, B95 5AU during normal opening hours - Tuesday and Friday 9.00am to 6.00pm; Wednesday and Saturday 9.00am to 1.00pm.  

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.