Tag: Referendum

The referendum on the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan has been formally announced by East Herts District Council. A defined area of Bengeo Field (5.7 hectares) is one of 8 green spaces included in Neighbourhood Plan Policy HBN1: Local Green Space Designation.

The full statement reads as follows:

A referendum relating to the adoption of the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan will be held on Thursday 6 May 2021.

The question which will be asked in the referendum is:

“Do you want East Hertfordshire District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Bengeo Neighbourhood Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

The referendum area is identified on the map which is included with this information statement.

The referendum area is identical to the area which has been designated as the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan.

A person is entitled to vote in the referendum if on Monday 19 April 2021:

• He or she is entitled to vote in a local government election in the
  referendum area; and
• His or her qualifying address for the election is in the referendum
  area. A person’s qualifying address is, in relation to a person
  registered in the register of electors, the address in respect of
  which he or she is entitled to be registered.

The referendum expenses limit that will apply in relation to the referendum is £2,722.77. The number of persons entitled to vote in the referendum by which that limit has been calculated is 6,114.

The referendum will be conducted in accordance with procedures which are similar to those used at local government elections.

Copies of the specified documents, that is those documents listed below, may be viewed at: https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/bengeonp Paper copies of the specified documents are also available for
inspection at East Herts District Council, Wallfields Offices, Hertford, SG13 8EQ – between 9am and 5pm.

The specified documents are:

• The Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan 2019 – 2033;
• The independent examiner’s report;
• A summary of the representations submitted to the independent
  examiner;
• A statement by the local planning authority that the plan meets the
  basic conditions and complies with the relevant legislation;
• A statement setting out general information on town and country
  planning including neighbourhood planning and the referendum;
• This information statement.

Published: 24 March 2021
Richard Cassidy, Counting Officer
East Herts Council, Wallfields, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8EQ

The referendum on the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan will be held on Thursday 6th May 2021.

Residents of Hertford Bengeo Ward, who are on the electoral register, can vote on whether they want East Herts District Council to use the Bengeo Neighbourhood Area Plan to help decide planning applications for the Plan Area.

It will be a simple ‘Yes/No’ vote.

A majority vote is required to enable the Neighbourhood Plan to be adopted and to be used to help determine the outcome of planning applications over the life of the Plan (up to 2033). A map of the Neighbourhood Plan Area is on page 7 of the Plan. Since October 2019, around 20 Neighbourhood Plan responses to planning applications have been submitted to East Herts District Council.

If residents vote in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan, the policies in the adopted Plan will be given equal weight to those of the East Herts District Plan in determining the outcome of planning applications in the Plan Area.