Neighbourhood Plan Referendum for Southam to take place in June

A neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on Thursday 22 June 2023 in Southam.

Voters in these parishes will go to the polls to vote if Stratford-on-Avon District Council should use the Neighbourhood Plan for Southam to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.

To vote in these referendums residents of Southam must be registered to vote and be 18 or over on the day of the poll.

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 6 June 2023. 

• Southam North the polling station is: The Grange Hall, Coventry Road, CV47 1QA
• Southam West the polling station is: The Graham Adams Centre, St James Road, Southam, CV47 0LY
• Southam East the polling station is: The Sports and Social Club (Rear Entrance), School Street, CV47 1PL
• Southam South the polling station is: Southam Bowling Club, Lark Road, Southam, CV47 2WF

Counting for the Neighbourhood Planning Referendums will take place on Friday 23 June.

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).

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 specific referendums.

The Southam Neighbourhood Plan

The Southam was independently examined between December and March 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 Southam Neighbourhood Plan and the Portfolio Holder for 'Place 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 Plan to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area (which is based on the Parish boundary).

For further information visit: www.stratford.gov.uk/Southamnp

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: www.stratford.gov.uk/Southamnp

 Alternatively, a printed version of the specified documents are 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 9am to 5pm.
• Stratford-upon-Avon Library, 12 Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6PZ.
  Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.
• Southam Town Council, The Grange Hall, Coventry Road, Southam.

If you have difficulty accessing any of the documentation please call the Planning Policy team at the District Council on 01789 260321 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 Plan will have to generally conform to the Development Plan produced by the District Council.