HOPES are high that a far-reaching community document could become a all-embracing 'masterplan' for the future of Petersfield.

But the involvement of schools, clubs and organisations could be crucial to the success of the Petersfield Neighbourhood Plan.

That's the verdict of town mayor Peter Marshall, who gave a short update on the document's progress to Petersfield Town Council last Thursday.

The neighbourhood plan is effectively a 15-year blueprint for Petersfield that sets out how the community would like the town to develop.

It is practically a slimmed-down version of the local plan with the document carrying a similar amount of planning weight and legal status.

The ambitious project is being overseen by Petersfield Town Council but the resulting document will not be representative of any local authority.

It will be representative of the town, but its success is dependant on a huge level of public involvement and a consequent referendum.

For full story, see this week's Petersfield Herald.