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Lovelace Neighbourhood Plan Referendum To Be Held, But Not Yet

Published on: 7 Jul, 2020
Updated on: 9 Jul, 2020

Voters in Lovelace ward can have their say about their Neighbourhood Plan in a referendum, after the council accepted the examiner’s recommendations.

But local polls are suspended until May 2021 due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

A council spokesperson said: “There will be a further announcement once a date for the referendum has been set and we will send referendum polling information to residents in the Lovelace Neighbourhood Area (covering the parishes of Ripley, Ockham and Wisley) who are registered and eligible to vote in council elections prior to the referendum.

Cllr Colin Cross

Colin Cross (R4GV), brough councillor for Lovelace, said: “This is the fourth-largest ward in the borough but the smallest in population terms, at fewer than 2,200 adults. In other words, it is a rural backwater with sparse infrastructure.

“The Guildford Local Plan committed itself to remove Ripley, the former Wisley airfield and Garlicks Arch from the green belt to facilitate a massive expansion of housing.

“This will result in a ward population of 6,600 adults if the Local Plan 2030 target for Lovelace is met.

“The Neighbourhood Plan faced many difficult problems in its formation, the greatest of which was the rule that forbids any say over strategic sites in the ward. That said, it is a worthy and honest attempt to provide a defensive platform whereby we may protect what we can of our rural heritage and our villages.”

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

The Lovelace Neighbourhood Plan was examined during spring 2020. Guildford Borough Council agreed with the independent examiner’s recommendations to make specific modifications to the plan and then to holding a referendum in Lovelace ward.

The statement that sets out this decision and the reasons for making it, can be seen at: https://www.guildford.gov.uk/lovelace.

The GBC spokesperson said: “If a majority of those who vote in the referendum vote “Yes”, the plan will become part of the Development Plan for the borough and will carry full weight in determining planning applications within the Lovelace Neighbourhood Area along with the council’s Local Plan and other considerations.”

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

If you want to know more about the proposal for a neighbourhood plan, contact GBC’s Planning Policy Team at planningpolicy@guildford.gov.uk or telephone 01483 444471.

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Responses to Lovelace Neighbourhood Plan Referendum To Be Held, But Not Yet

  1. Jim Allen Reply

    July 7, 2020 at 5:52 pm

    Congratulations to the Lovelace team for getting this far.

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