ADDINGHAM residents head to the polls on November 28 to vote on the village’s planning blueprint - the Neighbourhood Plan.

An exhibition on the plan in the Hub in the Old School on Main Street - along with a film produced by parish councillor Simon Tennant - has been well received.

Cllr Tennant said: “I’ve really enjoyed working with our team of volunteers over the last few years on our Neighbourhood Plan.

"It’s been built around what Addingham residents have told us they value about living in the village, and how they want it to look longer term, and it’s got important policies in it to protect our village green spaces. What it isn’t about is allocating sites for new houses, so I want to put that right here and now.

"It’s Bradford Council, as the planning authority, which will decide where any new houses are to go, not the Parish Council, and the Plan, if approved, will be one of the policy documents they have to take into account when doing this.

"That’s why it’s important to get our views across to Bradford Council in this way.

"The Plan sets policies for things like ensuring good housing design, protecting biodiversity, and helping to make the area more resilient to climate change impacts, for the time when – if – any new housing sites are allocated in the village.

"I have to say though that, with Bradford currently carrying out a review of the District-wide Local Plan, we’re now looking at a much reduced target for new houses in this area – down from 200 to 75.

“Voting against the Plan is not a vote against housing development. ‘No’ simply means that the current system for planning applications stays in place as it is. A ‘Yes’ vote improves the system by putting our policies in place to protect the village character.

“I hope the film and exhibition in the Hub help everyone understand all this and appreciate all the hard work, by so many people, that’s gone into making the Plan."

Hub Administrator, Wendy Green, said: “It’s great to see so many people coming in to the exhibition, as they get to see our lovely new facilities as well, and everyone’s so positive about the way it all looks here. I’m having my work cut out, though, explaining the Plan to everyone!”