The referendum on the Lubenham Neighbourhood Development Plan has been arranged by Harborough District Council and will be held on 20th July 2017.

The final version that has undergone an independent examination and meets the necessary conditions is available above. Printed copies can be seen at All Saints Church Lubenham, Coach and Horses Lubenham, Lubenham Village Hall and on application to the clerk 07768472668 clerk@lubenhamparishcouncil.org.uk

The Parish Council would like to take this opportunity to encourage all parishioners to vote on this plan.

If the Plan receives a 'Yes' from more than 50% of those voting, the Lubenham Neighbourhood Plan will be 'made' (or brought into effect) by Harborough District Council. This means it becomes part of the Development Plan and, as such, together with the adopted Core Strategy will be the starting point for the determination of planning applications within the parish.

Producing a plan provides a unique opportunity to guide what development is and is not suitable for our area. If there isn't a plan, there will be a presumption in favour of any development application.

The Localism Act, which received Royal Assent on November 15 2011, introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by coming together to prepare neighbourhood plans.

Parish Councils can use new neighbourhood planning powers to establish general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood. These are described legally as 'neighbourhood development plans.'

In an important change to the planning system communities can use neighbourhood planning to permit the development they want to see - in full or in outline – without the need for planning applications. These are called 'neighbourhood development orders.'

Local councils will continue to produce development plans that will set the strategic context within which neighbourhood development plans will sit.

Neighbourhood development plans or orders do not take effect unless there is a majority of support for them in a referendum of the neighbourhood.

They also have to meet a number of conditions before they can be put to a community referendum and legally come into force. These conditions are to ensure plans are legally compliant and take account of wider policy considerations (e.g. national policy).

Conditions are:

1. they must have regard to national planning policy
2. they must be in general conformity with strategic policies in the development plan for the local area (i.e. such as in a core strategy)
3. they must be compatible with EU obligations and human rights requirements.

An independent qualified person checks that a neighbourhood development plan or order appropriately meets the conditions before it can be voted on in a local referendum. This is to make sure that referendums only take place when proposals are workable and of a decent quality.

Proposed neighbourhood development plans or orders need to gain the approval of a majority of voters of the neighbourhood to come into force. If proposals pass the referendum, the local planning authority is under a legal duty to bring them into force.

Lubenham Parish Council agreed at its meeting on Monday 24^th October 2011 to start the process of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan for the Parish.

The Council agreed to request that the Local Planning Authority, Harborough District Council work with them to submit a bid to the Neighbourhood Planning Frontrunner programme.

The Parish Council was unanimous in its decision to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan and this decision was also supported by local residents in attendance at the meeting.

The Parish Council application was made to Harborough District Council in November 2011 and confirmation of the successful application to Department of Communities and Local Government was received in January 2012.

The Council has received £20,000 to enable it to prepare the plan; this will be spent on obtaining professional support where needed, consultations and meetings to enable the plan to be prepared over the next 6 - 8 months.