Marlborough Town Council
Neighbourhood Plan Referendum Result
The Neighbourhood Plan for Marlborough, Mildenhall and Savernake is 'MADE'
On Thursday, 23 March 2023, nine years of dedicated hard work by volunteer members of the community were rewarded by a resounding vote YES to the question:
"Do you want Wiltshire Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Marlborough to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?"
Put simply, this means that residents agree that the policies about land use within the Plan, concerning housing development and the need for more affordable homes, lack of parking space, protection of green spaces, protection of buildings used as community assets, building design, history and heritage will add significant weight when planning applications or development proposals are considered by Planning Officers – planning power at the most local level, focusing on the things that are important to those who live and work in the area.
Chair of the Steering Group, Councillor Mervyn Hall, who has been on the long journey right through from inception to realisation of the Plan, was accompanied by Marlborough Town Councillor and Wiltshire Councillor for Marlborough East, Caroline Thomas and Town Clerk Richard Spencer-Williams to observe the count in the Town Hall after the polls closed at 10pm.
A delighted Mervyn said “The adoption of the Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan is a very important step forward in ensuring that the views of our community are taken into account when decisions are taken on planning applications. The Plan will provide for developments to meet the needs of the community and provide vital protections to our environment and heritage.
It has taken a long time to produce and I would like to thank the members of the MANP Steering Group, past and present, for their many hours of work and dedication that has made this possible.”
Town Councillors and Steering Group Members are entirely voluntary roles and are not paid.
And while everyone deserves a rest from the hard work and time to celebrate, the work doesn’t stop here – current legislation means that Neighbourhood Plans must be reviewed and updated every two years.
Marlborough Town Councillors are enormously grateful to Mervyn and all Steering Group Members, past and present, for their dedicated hard work on behalf of the community. Richard Spencer-Williams took over the role of Secretary to the group when Shelley Parker, the former Town Clerk, moved on from Marlborough in 2021, and we owe Shelley a special mention too.
There were 939 votes ‘yes’, 163 votes ‘no’ and 5 rejected papers.
The electorate was 6,940 with 1,107 ballot papers issued.
The turnout was 15.95%.
Official notice at https://elections.wiltshire.gov.uk/Home/Division/8349
Read our press release for more detail here 
Press_Release_MANP_Referendum_Result.pdf1.6 MB
Marlborough_Area_NP_Final_Decision_Statement_following_referendum.pdf158.9 KB
Watch Caroline Rudland, the Deputy Counting Officer, reading the result
Observers to the count included Steering Group members Councillors Caroline Thomas and Mervyn Hall, Town Clerk Richard Spencer-Williams and Corporate Services Officer Dawn Whitehall
