Residents of Burton Green will today vote on the future of planning decisions in the village.

A referendum is being held until 10pm tonight (March 24) in the village hall on the new local development plan.

Residents will vote yes or no to the question: "Do you want Warwick District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Burton Green to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"

The new plan has been in the works since 2019 and has already gone through a public consultation and an external review.

The 52-page document says it wants residents to "live in a village which promotes organic and sustainable growth in a low crime and antisocial behaviour free environment and responds to the climate emergency, is sensitive to the natural environment and ensures that residents live in a healthy, safe and inclusive community".

Policies

The new plans aims to prevent building on high quality farm land unless "the benefits of the proposals outweigh the need to protect the land for agricultural purposes".

Trees and hedgerows are also set to be protected with new builds having to "take into account the importance of existing veteran and mature trees, woodland and ancient hedgerows".

Similarly the plan has protecting biodiversity as a key policy.

New footpaths will also need to be included in major developments to form a network of public rights of way.

The plan also states that new builds must "have sympathetic regard to their immediate setting" and "not adversely impact important vistas and skylines".

Community assets have also been covered, with local green spaces protected, and a rule that village facilities can only have a change of use if "it can be demonstrated that the facility is no longer viable".

The plan also states: "Development proposals where necessary will be expected to demonstrate how the design has been planned positively to reduce crime and the fear of crime."

The full plan can be read in full here.

Only Burton Green residents can vote in the referendum.

(Image by John Brightley via geograph.org.uk)