Bratton residents have voted overwhelmingly in favour of adopting their Neighbourhood Development Plan.
In a local referendum held on Thursday 17th July, 92.9% of voters backed the plan, with just 7.1% voting against it.
A Neighbourhood Development Plan is a community-led document that sets out planning policies for the development and use of land in a local area, giving communities more control over how their area grows and changes.
Bratton Parish Council chairman, Cllr Keith Rayward, said, “The result follows eight years of hard work by the Steering Group. Bratton Parish Council is particularly grateful to the team for their diligent work.
“Particular thanks also to the current chairman, Robert Drummond, and his predecessor as chair, Cllr Eddie Cole, for so capably leading the team over this extensive period.
“This is excellent news for Bratton, as the wishes of our residents will now be considered by Wiltshire Council’s planners when decisions about future developments are made.”
Public meetings, questionnaires and posters all helped the Parish Council consult with residents in the lead-up to the referendum.
Peter Thomas, vice chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, said, “We’re thrilled to have such a high turnout for the referendum, as well as a clear majority in favour of the plan. It really shows that all the work done to engage people in the village and to explain the content of the plan has paid off.”
Cllr Rayward added, “We appreciated the constructive criticism we received from the Wiltshire Council planning teams reviewing our draft plans, as this greatly helped us turn our amateur aspirations into statements that planners could actually use. The Neighbourhood Plan is a huge step forward. There is a tremendous community spirit in Bratton, and the response of the villagers throughout this long process has been superb.”
