RESIDENTS in Royal Wootton Bassett are being urged to have their say on future development in the town by commenting on a draft neighbourhood plan.

While a neighbourhood plan cannot determine how much development the area will have to cater for, the document gives guidance to planning authorities on what residents and the parish council see as suitable development for the area, including the character and location of any potential schemes.

This in turn will help to inform the detail of the North Wiltshire Local Plan.

For several months a steering group made up from the town council and members of the public from all over the town have worked to produce a draft neighbourhood plan, and residents are now urged to have their say before it is put to a referendum.

Mike Leighfield, the Royal Wootton Bassett Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group chairman, said: “For decades local communities have deplored the lack of control they have in planning matters impacting on towns and villages.

"Under the Localism Act 2011 communities now have the opportunity to effect this change through the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan.

“We began by reaching out to the community to discover what it was people really wanted.

"We consulted at public meetings, in our schools, online and through publications circulating locally.

"We then brought together all that information and with the help of volunteers from the community, began to write policies that would make sense for our town.

"Every policy is based upon the information received in the consultation.

“Many hours of work have gone in to this project and it would be remiss of me not to thank the volunteers on our steering group.

They have worked hard to interpret the finding from the consultation and I thank them for their dedication.

“We now want to know if we have interpreted the wishes of the town correctly and if not then how have we got it wrong?

"We want you to read this document and tell us what you like and what you don’t like, for it is only with your help that we can produce a plan that develops a shared vision for our town.”

The consultation period will run until mid-September to allow some extra time for people who are away on holiday to be able to comment.

There will also be a drop-in session on September 5 in the Memorial Hall, from 10am to 4pm when people can discuss the plans with members of the steering group.

Visit www.rwbneighbourhood.co.uk/draft-consultation.