Effingham Neighbourhood Plan Referendum Announced With Voting On February 22

Published on: 10 Jan, 2018
Updated on: 10 Jan, 2018

After a short delay, Guildford Borough Council (GBC) has announced that the Effingham Neighbourhood Plan referendum will take place on February 22.

This date is the same day that Sajid Javid the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is due to announce his decision over the Berkeley Homes Howard of Effingham planning appeal.

The GBC referendum will ask for a “Yes” or “No” answer to the following question:

“Do you want Guildford Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Effingham to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

GBC will send referendum polling information to residents living in the Effingham Neighbourhood Area (Effingham ward and parish) who are registered and eligible to vote in council elections.

Readers can find out more information about the plan and the referendum at www.guildford.gov.uk/effinghamreferendum and to have your say, make sure you are registered to vote. If you need more information about registering to vote go to: www.guildford.gov.uk/electoralregistration

To find out more about neighbourhood planning you can visit: www.guildford.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplanninginformation

Neighbourhood plans allow local people to produce planning policies for their local area.

The GBC press release states: “The Effingham Neighbourhood Plan was examined during summer 2017. The council agreed with the independent examiner who recommended making specified modifications to the plan and then holding a referendum, and that the referendum area should be the Effingham Neighbourhood Area (Effingham ward and parish).

“To see a statement that sets out this decision and the reasons for making it, please visit https://www.guildford.gov.uk/effingham”

It adds that if a majority of those who vote in the referendum vote “Yes”, the plan will become part of the Development Plan for the borough. It will then be used to help determine planning applications within the Effingham Neighbourhood Area along with the council’s current Local Plan and other considerations.

The press release concludes by suggesting that if people wish to know more about the proposal for a neighbourhood plan, they should contact GBC’s planning policy team at planningpolicy@guildford.gov.uk or telephone 01483 444471.

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