Thanet council is expected to formally adopt the Westgate Neighbourhood Plan following a referendum which returned a vote in favour of the plan.
Adoption of a neighbourhood plan means it has the same significance as other Development Plan Documents, such as the Local Plan for the relevant neighbourhood area.
Neighbourhood Development Plans set out the vision for an area and the planning policies for the use and development of land within that parish or neighbourhood area. It gives the community a say on where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built, what new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided.
Westgate-on-Sea Town Council prepared a neighbourhood plan which has been examined by an independent examiner and progressed to referendum.
The referendum took place on 31 August and the result was 553 people voted for the neighbourhood plan and 135 voted against it.
As more than half of those who voted, voted in favour, the plan has now come into force and Thanet council must formally ‘make’ (adopt) it within 8 weeks of the date of the referendum.
The only circumstances when the district council can refuse to make the neighbourhood plan is if it is considered it would breach, or be incompatible with any EU obligation or any of the Convention rights.
The Neighbourhood Plan will be part of the decision making process for determining planning applications in Westgate-on-Sea.
The Westgate plan will be discussed by Thanet council Cabinet members on September 21.
It will then be put to full Council on 12 October to be formally adopted.
