Bidford-on-Avon Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

Stratford-on-Avon District's fourth neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on Thursday 29 June, when voters in Bidford-on-Avon 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 Bidford-on-Avon to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"

To vote in this referendum residents of the parish of Bidford-on-Avon must be registered to vote in the 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 Crawford Memorial Hall, Salford Road, Bidford-on-Avon, B50 4EZ and Broom Village Hall, High Street, Broom, B50 4HJ.

The counting of the votes will be held immediately after the close of poll at the Crawford Memorial Hall, Bidford-on-Avon.

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 Tuesday 13 June 2017.

Last year the Bidford-on-Avon 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 8 May 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 Bidford-on-Avon Neighbourhood Plan at www.stratford.gov.uk/bidfordnp

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. 
• Bidford-on-Avon Parish Council c/o Mrs Elisabeth Uggerlose, Clerk to the Parish Council, c/o Bidford Parish Council Office, Bramley Way, Bidford-on-Avon, B50 4QG.
   
• Stratford-upon-Avon Library, temporarily at The Arts House, 14/15 Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LU. Opening hours - Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.
   
• Bidford-on-Avon Community Library, Bramley Way, Bidford-on-Avon, B50 4QG during normal opening hours - Monday and Tuesday 10am to 4.30pm; Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 12noon.
   
• Alcester Library, Globe House, Priory Road, Alcester, B49 5DZ during normal opening hours - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm.

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.