Kingsbridge town council has reminded constituents in Kingsbridge, West Alvington and Churchstow to vote in the referendum concerning Neighbourhood planning on November 24^th.

If the Neighbourhood Plan is chosen, it will change the way planning applications are decided, with more input from local people living in Kingsbridge, West Alvington and Churchstow.

Neighbourhood planning is a new way for communities to have a say in the future of the places where they live and work. It gives local people the power to produce a plan with real legal weight that directs development in their local area. It helps people to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built; have their say on what those new buildings should look like, and grant planning permission for the new buildings they want to see go ahead.

A group made up of local people, Kingsbridge Town Council and West Alvington and Churchstow Parish Councils have been working to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for their communities since 2018.

This document will allow them to set out planning policies for an area. It’s written by the local community and helps get the right types of development, in the right place. It can mean the protection of local green spaces; better designed places and the bringing forward of housing that meets local people’s needs.

More than 2,400 communities across England have already started neighbourhood planning. After over four years of work, this local Neighbourhood Plan has been completed and independently examined. It is now ready for the community to view and then vote on.

The Kingsbridge Town Council said: “The Neighbourhood Plan was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 with the aim of giving local communities more control in the planning of their neighbourhoods. It introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development in their local area. It enables communities to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver the sustainable development they need.

“The Referendum Question is: ‘Do you want South Hams District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan to help decide Planning Applications in the neighbourhood area?’

“A vote of YES will indicate that you wish the Kingsbridge, West Alvington and Churchstow community to be more proactive in deciding planning applications based on the policies contained within The Neighbourhood Plan.

“A vote of NO will indicate that you want no change in how the planning applications are decided with only limited reference to the Kingsbridge, West Alvington and Churchstow communities.”

Kingsbridge Town Council add: “It is, therefore, very important that as many eligible voters as possible take up the opportunity to vote in this Referendum as this will show the level of community commitment to the future development of Kingsbridge, West Alvington and Churchstow.”

The Plan is available to view on https://www.neighbourhoodplanning.swdevon.gov.uk/kingsbri... or https://kingsbridge.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan

Printed copies of the Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed at Kingsbridge Town Council Offices in Quay House, Kingsbridge Library, Kingsbridge Information Centre. Residents of West Alvington and Churchstow should contact their relevant Parish Clerk who will have copies for viewing.