LECHLADE residents have said yes to the first Neighbourhood Plan in the Cotswolds.

At a referendum yesterday (Thursday 13), 594 residents voted for the draft plan and 82 voted against. Almost 88 per cent were in support of the proposals.

Cotswold District Council (CDC) will now 'make' the plan which will form part of the Development Plan for the district. 

This means that all planning applications in Lechlade will be subject to the policies in their Neighbourhood Plan.

Cllr Steve Trotter, mayor of Lechlade said: “This is a great day for Lechlade – we are the first community in the District to complete this process and we are looking forward to having more say in important planning matters affecting the town.

"I am grateful to everyone at the Town Council and the officers at CDC who have played a part in helping us reach this milestone.”

Cllr Nick Parsons, CDC deputy leader and cabinet member for forward planning, was also pleased with the outcome: “Neighbourhood planning is one of the powers introduced by the Localism Act to give residents more influence over planning issues within their area, and I am delighted that the residents of Lechlade have achieved this goal.

"Neighbourhood Plans must follow national and local strategic policies, but they add a new dimension to planning because they give the community more of a say about what goes where, and what it looks like.

"This vote to proceed bodes well for the future of Lechlade.”

The development of the plan began in the summer of 2013, and a draft plan was submitted to CDC in December 2015.

The plan was considered by an independent examiner in February 2016 and after agreeing some amendments, it proceeded to the referendum stage.

For more details about this and other neighbourhood plans, click here