Have you received an AVDC Polling Card in the post, and are puzzled about the need for yet another election so soon after the last one?
Well, this one is not for an election, as such – the poll relates to Haddenham's local referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan, which takes place on Thursday 16th July.
The referendum will pose this question:
"Do you want Aylesbury Vale District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Haddenham to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"
It requires a simple YES or NO vote.
The Parish Council needs to remain impartial in communicating about this referendum, but Haddenham.net has no such restrictions, and would like to see a large majority YES vote registered by village residents.
It is vitally important to understand that this is not a vote to accept or oppose new housing in the village. New development will come to Haddenham over the next 15-20 years, irrespective of our personal views and preferences. This is a given.
A YES vote will ensure that the Haddenham Neighbourhood Plan will form part of the AVDC Development Plan for the next 20 years, so that planning applications in the area will be assessed against it.
If a majority of residents vote NO, the outcome will be that:
- AVDC will have no over-arching plan against which to assess planning applications from developers;
- There will be more of a piecemeal approach, with no limits on potential housing numbers;
- And no way of taking the preferences of Haddenham residents into account, other than receiving comments from the Parish Council.
And how much notice do you believe AVDC planners take of the views of Haddenham Parish Council?
For example: HPC raised strong objections to the Aston Road / Glebe development, yet AVDC approved it.
Conversely, HPC was broadly sympathetic to the retirement bungalows development proposed for land adjoining the Medical Centre, but AVDC recently rejected that application.
The best way of ensuring that the future development of Haddenham pays some reference to the wishes and preferences of its residents is to vote YES in the local referendum on Thursday 16th July.
If you'd like to understand the issues in more detail, please see here.
If you'd like to read Haddenham's Neighbourhood Plan, click on the PDF below the 'Ballot Box' image on this page.
