Northamptonshire parishioners expected to be asked to vote on plan for how areas should develop

Residents in parishes near Northampton are expected to be asked to vote on a plan for how their area should grow.

West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet is due to discuss putting the Overstone, Hackleton and Clipston neighbourhood development plans to a referendum at its meeting on Tuesday (October 12).

An independent examiner has concluded the plan has met all the legal requirements, subject to some modifications, and should proceed to referendum.

The provisional date for the referendum, which would only be for people in Overstone, Hackleton and Clipston parishes, is Thursday, December 2.

If the majority vote 'yes', then the unitary council is required to 'make' and adopt the plan, which will be consulted whenever a planning application for the parish is considered by the local authority.

If the referendum is unsuccessful then the council takes no further action and the parish councils would have to decide what to do next.

Rebecca Breese, the council's cabinet member for planning, said: “Neighbourhood plans play an extremely important role in protecting the characteristics of neighbourhoods.

“If my cabinet colleagues agree these plans, they will go out to referendum in Overstone, Hackleton and Clipston.

“Each referendum would be scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 2, and I’d urge everyone with an interest in their community to have a say.

“Referendums operate very much like an election, so if everything goes through as anticipated, we’ll make further details available about where and how people can vote.”