WINCHFIELD Parish Council is asking residents to make sure they vote at next month’s Neighbourhood Plan referendum.

More than just asking residents to vote, the council is also urging people to vote ‘yes’.

The referendum will ask those that vote, ‘Do you want Hart District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Winchfield to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The plan, which was released in August was against “Inappropriately sized or located or designed development not in keeping with the size and scale of the village” and warned of the risk of losing green space.

It also outlines the parish council’s wish that future development be “achieved through a mixture of infill and small-scale developments which have given consideration to both rural and affordable housing needs.”

Ahead of the vote on February 2 at the village hall, the parish council has released its view, in what could be a defining moment for the village as the idea of a Winchfield New Town begins to rear its head once more.

In a message to residents, they said: “Our Winchfield Neighbourhood Development Plan, led by your parish council, has been researched and written by Winchfield residents to reflect how you would like to see Winchfield evolve over the next 15 years.”

Outlining the importance of the vote, the parish council added: “Once the plan is approved by majority, it will become part of the Hart Local Plan. This will give us more influence on the design and location of future housing in Winchfield, supporting sensitive, controlled development in keeping with the character of the village.”

If residents need information about voting or transport to the village hall contact council chairman Andrew Renshaw on 01252 843566.