RESIDENTS in Addingham have voted overwhelmingly in favour of their Neighbourhood Plan.

Villagers were asked if they wanted the document to help shape future local development until 2030 - and more than 93 per cent of those who voted said yes.

Bradford Council will now formally adopt the plan and refer to it, alongside the Government’s planning regulations, when deciding on future planning applications.

Councillor Adrian Naylor, joint Chair of Addingham Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Review Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted with this result. It recognises almost four years’ worth of hard work by councillors and village volunteers alike and I want to echo the words of Councillor Simon Tennant, who normally chairs the group, in thanking everyone who has been involved and helped the council reach this significant stage.

“For the village the referendum result is a milestone in an ongoing project while for the planning authority it gives clear policies for them to take into account when making decisions on development applications.”

Work on updating the plan, meanwhile, will continue until it has been formally adopted. The Review Group says it will be keeping an eye on Bradford Council’s proposals for policy revisions to the district-wide Local Plan, including proposals for the Green Belt and housing site allocations.

The site allocation details are due out in February and the group says it will scrutinise them and then update the Addingham Neighbourhood Development Plan accordingly.

Parish Council Chair Councillor Catherine Coates said: “Back in 2015, when we first started work on this plan, the council saw the process as a way of giving everyone the chance to contribute their views to a shared vision for the village over the next 20 years or so.

“Now, with this referendum result, we know that we’ve helped to achieve this. The policies in the plan incorporate what people have told us they value – the character of the village, its countryside setting and biodiversity, its local amenities, businesses and green spaces – and they also seek to address people’s concerns, such as the impact of climate change and potential allocations for future housing growth.

“The plan is Addingham’s own blueprint and I am very proud to see it approved so decisively by the village.” More than 40 per cent of local electors turned out to vote in the referendum.