Brailes Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

Stratford-on-Avon District's fifteenth neighbourhood plan referendum will take place on 21 November 2019, when voters in Brailes 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 Brailes to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"

To vote in this referendum residents of the parish of Brailes 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 the Pavilion, Rear of Brailes Village Hall, Brailes, OX15 5AS.

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 5 November 2019.

The Brailes Neighbourhood Plan was independently examined between March and May this year and the Examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the Plan should proceed to referendum.

Following receipt of the Examiner's report on 9th May and consideration of the recommendations, the District Council has agreed that the Plan should proceed to referendum subject to certain modifications. The Portfolio Holder for Place at the District Council has endorsed officers' recommendation to proceed to referendum.

The referendum will be asking whether the community wish to see the District Council use the Brailes Neighbourhood Plan to decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area (which is based on the Parish boundary).

Background information:

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 Brailes Neighbourhood Plan at https://www.stratford.gov.uk/planning-building/brailes-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.
• 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.
• Shipston-on-Stour Library and One Stop Shop, 12 Church Street, Shipston-on-Stour, CV36 4AP Opening hours - Monday to Friday 8am to 6:30pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm.
  
  

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.