THE North Tawton Neighbourhood Plan referendum was held on Thursday, May 6, when electors were asked a single question “Do you want West Devon Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for North Tawton to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

A significant majority (87 per cent) of electors who voted in this referendum said “Yes”.

This means that the Plan will be adopted and must be considered by West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) when it is determining planning applications for the parish of North Tawton.  

This stunning result is the culmination of more than eight years of work by councillors, past and present, members of the public and representatives from local businesses, who were part of the Neighbourhood Plan Development group and all residents who took part in various consultations during the development of the Plan.

Cllr J Trewhitt, Chair of North Tawton Town Council and Chair of the Neighbourhood Plan Development Group thanked all those who have been involved in the production of the Plan for their support and hard work.

Cllr Trewhitt said: “This is excellent news for the residents of North Tawton.  We now have to ensure that West Devon Borough Council always acknowledges the significance of the Neighbourhood Plan.”

Cllr S Whiteley, Vice Chair of North Tawton Town Council, said: “Well done to all those involved on this overwhelming result – eight years of long hard slog have paid off.”

The Council thanks all those who voted for their support.

It also wishes to thank the WDBC elections officer and all her staff, including those who manned the polling station, for their work in ensuring the elections and referendum could take place safely in this challenging time.