Notice: West Horsley Residents Urged To Participate In Referendum

Published on: 4 Nov, 2018
Updated on: 2 Nov, 2018

West Horsley residents are being asked to participate in a Referendum on Thursday, November 22, to determine whether or not to adopt the West Horsley Neighbourhood Plan (WHNP).

If a majority of residents vote ‘Yes’, the WHNP will become part of the statutory development plan for the village and Guildford Borough Council (GBC) will use it to help decide all future planning applications in the parish.

Speaking on behalf of the WHNP Steering Group, Chairman Paul Dodgson said: “We have worked hard to identify, research and draft a set of policies that we believe best reflect the views and ambitions of our community, whilst remaining aligned with the strategic needs of the country and the wider local area.

“The WHNP will not only help to influence the mix and design quality of new development, but will also help to protect local green spaces and community assets, retain the character and openness of the parish, preserve the countryside and environment, and promote local business and infrastructure.

“Residents should understand that it is not possible to use the Neighbourhood Plan to combat the number of new homes proposed in GBC’s Local Plan. The statute that governs Neighbourhood Planning does not allow us to do this. However, our Parish Council is allowed to contest the Local Plan and continues to do so.

“Whatever the outcome of the Local Plan we are confident that the parish will benefit from having a Neighbourhood Plan in place and we would like to encourage residents to vote ‘Yes’ on 22 November.”

For further information on the WHNP and the Referendum, visit either: www.westhorsleyneighbourhoodplan.org or www.guildford.gov.uk/westhorsley.