Next week we’ll find out how you voted in the Neighbourhood Plan referendums for the Torquay, Paignton and Brixham Peninsula areas.

On Thursday 2 May 2019 you are being invited to vote in the Neighbourhood Planning referendums and the votes will be counted on Friday 3 May. The referendum will ask if you want the Neighbourhood Plan for your area to be used by the Council to help us make decisions about local planning applications.

If the majority of you vote in favour of your Neighbourhood Plan then it will be adopted and will then be taken into consideration alongside the Local Plan and other national policies when decisions are being made about developments in your area.

If the majority of you vote against a Neighbourhood Plan only the Local Plan and other national policies will guide planning decisions in your community.

The Torquay and Paignton Neighbourhood Plans have been prepared by Neighbourhood Forums. In the Brixham Peninsula, the Town Council has produced the document. These community groups developed and consulted on proposals before submitting the plans to us. All these plans have been the subject of independent examinations and have been approved for referendum by our Full Council. Now it’s your turn to have your say.

Neighbourhood Plans give local communities the power to set out a vision for their area so they can shape growth and influence the type of development where they live and work. Each area considered matters important to them so the plans for each area differ from one another. They can be used to:

• Develop a shared vision for a neighbourhood.
• Choose where new homes, shops, offices and other development should be built.
• Identify and protect important local green spaces.
• Influence what new buildings should look like.

For more information about the Neighbourhood Plan Referendums, FAQs and links to the three plans visit www.torbay.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan-referendums

On Thursday 2 May 2019 elections will also be held for all our Torbay Council wards. Local government elections select councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area. These include housing, education, transport, planning, parks, leisure, public safety and social care. A list of all the people nominated to stand in Torbay’s local elections can be found at www.torbay.gov.uk/elections-and-referendums