The first Neighbourhood Planning Referendums within the Stroud district will take place for the neighbourhood areas of Eastington, Nailsworth, Stroud Town Centre and Whiteshill and Ruscombe.
The referendums will be held on Thursday 18 August from 7am to 10pm.
All electors who are on the register for Eastington and Whiteshill and Ruscombe parish and Stroud and Nailsworth Town council will be entitled to vote in these referendums.
The referendums in the Eastington, Stroud Town Centre and Whiteshill & Ruscombe neighbourhood areas relate to the preparation of neighbourhood plans, introduced in the Localism Act 2011 to give residents more say in the future use of land and buildings in their area. For example, the plan can say where new homes, shops or offices might be built.
The referendum in the Nailsworth neighbourhood area relates to the preparation of a community right to build order, introduced in the Localism Act 2011 to give residents an opportunity to get planning permission for development they want without submitting a normal planning application. For example, the proposal can get planning permission for new homes, shops or other community facilities.
If more people vote ‘yes’ than ‘no’ in the separate referendums, then Stroud District Council will use the neighbourhood development plans to help it decide on planning applications within the neighbourhood area. In the case of Nailsworth, planning permission will be given to the development proposed by the community right to build order.
If more people vote ‘no’ than ‘yes’ then planning applications will continue to be decided without reference the neighbourhood development plans and the development proposed by the community right to build order will be refused planning permission.
You have to be registered to vote by midnight Tuesday 2 August 2016 to vote in the referendums.
Applications to vote by post must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 3 August 2016. To vote by proxy, application forms should be received by 5pm on Wednesday 10 August 2016.
The neighbourhood plans can be viewed online athttp://www.stroud.gov.uk/environment/planning-and-building-control/planning-strategy/neighbourhood-planning
The community right to build order can be viewed at
http://www.stroud.gov.uk/nailsworthcrtbo
For more information on voting in these referendums visit www.stroud.gov.uk/elections
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