20th December 2024
South Oxfordshire District Council has announced the date for a Referendum relating to the adoption of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan 2 (TNP2).
On Thursday 6th February, Thame residents will have the opportunity to vote in the single-question Referendum. Voters will be asked:
Do you want South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Thame to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?
Residents will have the option to put a cross in the 'Yes' or 'No' box on the ballot paper.
If the majority of people vote 'yes' in the Referendum, then SODC will adopt the Thame Neighbourhood Development Plan 2 and it will become part of the suite of planning policies used by the District Council to help shape and determine planning applications in Thame.
If the majority of people vote 'no' or the vote is tied, then planning applications will continue to be decided without reference to the TNP2.
What is Neighbourhood Planning?
Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give local communities more control in the planning of their neighbourhoods. Neighbourhood Plans give new rights and powers to local communities to help shape new development in their area.
Neighbourhood Plans also enable communities to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver the sustainable development they need through planning policies relating to the development and use of land.
After four consultations and more than 1,600 sets of comments, the final draft of Thame's Neighbourhood Plan 2 (TNP2) was submitted for independent examination in June this year, where the examiner recommended that it proceed to referendum.
History of TNP2
Thame's Neighbourhood Plan 2 began development in 2021. It builds on its predecessor by focusing not only on guiding development in new areas but also encouraging positive changes within established parts of the town, such as the retention of parking spaces in the Town Centre, proposals for a budget supermarket in the Town Centre and a new community centre, and new public parkland and accessible spaces.
Who Can Vote?
A person is entitled to vote if at the time of the Referendum, they meet the eligibility criteria to vote in a local election for the area and if they live in the Referendum area. The eligibility criteria are:
• You are registered to vote in local government elections; and
• You are 18 years of age or over on Thursday 6th February 2025
If you are not registered, you won’t be able to vote. You can check if you are registered by calling SODC's Helpline on 01235 422 600.
If you are not registered to vote, you can go online to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote with your national insurance number by midnight on Tuesday 21 January 2025.
Find Out More
• You can find specific documents about the Thame Neighbourhood Development Plan 2 at: www.southoxon.gov.uk/thame
• For more information about voting and the arrangements for this Referendum, please contact SODC's Helpline on 01235 422 528 or email: [email protected]
