Carnforth Neighbourhood Plan referendum to take place in January

Voters will be asked the question: 'Do you want Lancaster City Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Carnforth to help decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?'

To vote in this referendum, residents of Carnforth and Crag Bank must be registered to vote and be 18 or over on the day of the poll.

The last date to apply for a postal vote is January 11 at 5pm.

To check you are on the Electoral Register and eligible to vote or to register, Lancaster City Council Electoral Services by telephone on 01524 582905 or email [email protected]

The polling stations will be:

• Carnforth Civic Hall, North Road, Carnforth

• Crag Bank Village Hall, Jesson Way, Carnforth

These will be open from 7am-10pm on the day of the referendum, with counting taking place on the same day after the polling stations have been closed.

A number of documents have been produced in order to help with the voting process.

These can be viewed on Lancaster City Council's website at https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/community-rights/neighbourhood-planning

Printed versions of the documents are available to view at:

• Lancaster City Council Offices at Morecambe Town Hall, Marine Road East, Morecambe (Opening hours: Monday-Friday 9am to 1pm, excluding Bank Holidays)

• Lancaster City Council Offices at Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster (Opening hours: Monday-Friday 9am to 1pm, excluding Bank Holidays)

• Carnforth Library 65A Lancaster Road, Carnforth (Opening hours are Tuesday 9am to 7pm; Wednesday 9am to 1pm, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 9am to 1pm)

• At the scheduled Carnforth Town Council meetings on December 21 and January 18 at Carnforth Council Offices, 46-48 Market Street, Carnforth

Results of the Carnforth Neighbourhood Planning Referendum of the Neighbourhood Plan will be published in due course.

The Carnforth Neighbourhood Plan was independently examined between August and October 2022 and the examiner recommended that, subject to some proposed modifications, the plan should proceed to referendum.

A neighbourhood plan comes into force as part of the statutory development plan, once it has been approved at referendum.

Neighbourhood planning is a key component of the Government's Localism Act. It devolves greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods, giving local people rights to shape the development of the communities in which they live by taking a more active role in the development of planning policy at a local level.