West Devon holds referendum

212 people vote in Bridestowe and Sourton

Residents in the parishes of Bridestowe and Sourton in West Devon have voted overwhelmingly for the borough council to use the neighbourhood plan when deciding planning applications. 

In a referendum on Thursday almost 95 percent of participants voted ‘yes’ to the question: “Do you want West Devon Borough Council and the Dartmoor National Park Authority to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Bridestowe and Sourton to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

Out of a potential electorate of 884 people, 212 votes were cast for ‘yes’ and 11 people voted ‘no’.  The turnout was just under 24 percent.  

It means the neighbourhood plan, once adopted, will become part of the development plan used by the local planning authorities (West Devon Borough Council and the Dartmoor National Park Authority).

If more people had voted ‘no’ then planning applications would continue to have been decided without reference to the neighbourhood plan as part of the development plan for the local area.

Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give 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 area. It enables them to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver sustainable development.

The neighbourhood development plan for Bridestowe and Sourton 2016 – 2034 covers the two West Devon parishes and represents the communities’ vision and priorities for how they would like to see the local area change in the coming years. 

In doing so the parishes set out local planning policies which will be considered as and when proposals for development come forward in either parish. Both face similar challenges, such as a reduction in public transport, rural isolation, oversubscribed local schools and concern about potential inappropriate development.

The two parishes of Bridestowe and Sourton were formally designated as a Neighbourhood Development Plan Area in December 2014.

Categories: Planning Permission