RESIDENTS are being urged to vote for a new vision of Tavistock and volunteers are needed to encourage them to do so.

Any town resident is eligible to vote in the referendum to ensure the Tavistock Neighbourhood Development Plan is formally adopted by Tavistock Town Council.

The plan sets out the most important issues that people told the steering group behind the plan when they were intensively consulted on their views over more than two years.

The issues include, transport, heritage, environment, housing and other development, retail, leisure and youth provision.

The plan is backed by law and will need to be taken into account by planning authorities , such as West Devon borough and Devon county council, developers and planning inspectors when planning decisions are drawn up, considered and contested. The neighbourhood plan sits alongside the borough joint local plan, and has equal weight in making planning decisions.

Residents are being asked to put their stamp of approval on the final version of the local plan by voting on it on May 1, (the same day as Devon County Council elections).

Ursula Mann, Tavistock town councillor, led the plan. She said: “It’s exciting that residents have the opportunity to vote the policies and vision they’ve supported for Tavistock into law.

“We began with a hand-delivered survey in 2022 and have stayed with that community-based approach. We need the community to spread the word about the referendum.

“We need a majority vote, 51 per cent, to get these provisions protecting the town and everyone can help.”

The local plan is written by the local community, rather than the local planning authority. Its policies will guide new developments, policies that are used to approve planning applications for the next 20 years – giving Tavistock a clearer say on future developments.

Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for locals to plan for the types of development to meet the community’s needs and decide where it should happen in the town. The neighbourhood plan can promote more development than provided for in the joint local plan, but must not conflict with the joint plan.

Evidence which created the plan included land use, employment and economy, housing, community and transport and supporting infrastructure. Also, the natural environment and special landscape designation, heritage and historic environment (such as residents’ favoured landmarks/buildings) and the town centre and rural character/design.

The legally-backed plan has been officially approved by West Devon Borough Council and a nationally appointed so-called ‘examiner’ to ensure it is meets certain standards.

Now the people have their say. Steering group member Stuart Honey said: “We started off with 44 volunteers delivering a residents’ survey to 6,000 households.

“We are looking for volunteers again to hand-deliver a leaflet outlining what we the residents have created in our plan for Tavistock.

“We hope you will be able to donate any time convenient to you, delivering the leaflets to a designated ‘patch’ around town between Saturday, March 29 and Tuesday, April 15.

Volunteers are asked to contact Stuart Honey at [email protected]