Residents are taking to the polls next week in a referendum to decide whether or not to accept the Neighbourhood Plan.

Residents in Bantham, Buckland and Thurlestone will shortly have the opportunity to shape the future development of their parish over the next decade and beyond.

On Thursday, June 28, residents can vote in a referendum on the parish’s neighbourhood plan which, if approved by a majority vote, will help shape development in terms of its location and the type of development it needs, including housing, leisure amenities and business activities.

The plan is only the third neighbourhood plan to go to referendum in the South Hams, alongside Newton and Noss, which has its referendum the same day. The Ivybridge Neighbourhood Plan was adopted on December 7, 2017 and the Ugborough Neighbourhood Development Plan was made on May 17, 2018.

The Thurlestone Parish Neighbourhood Plan will have effect up until 2034 and will have statutory weight in the planning system, helping South Hams District Council to decide on planning applications in the parish.

Some of the challenges in drawing up the plan were:

• second homes – 39 per cent of dwellings in the parish in the 2011 census were second homes and/or holiday lets. The average figure across the South Hams was 15 per cent.

• age imbalance – 43 per cent of the population of the parish in the 2011 census were aged 65+ and 36 per cent were retired. The average figures across the South Hams were 24 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

• escalating house prices – in Zoopla’s 2017 Rich List of Property Values in Devon, two of the highest value streets were in Thurlestone. Ilbert Road ranked third with properties averaging £1.6 million and Eddystone Road ranked ninth with properties averaging £1.2 million.

The provision of new housing was undoubtedly the greatest challenge, since the whole parish is within the South Devon AONB and almost all the parish falls within the Heritage Coast and the undeveloped coast. The District Council’s Housing Needs Survey has recommended five new affordable homes to be provided over the next five years and in the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan, Thurlestone is identified as a Sustainable Village able to accommodate around 10 new dwellings by 2034.

The plan has taken the initiative of introducing settlement boundaries for Bantham and Buckland (Thurlestone already has a settlement boundary) and restricting the development of open market housing in all three villages to infill which is of a size, type and tenure that reflects clearly identified local housing needs.

Each new dwelling will be subject to a principal residence requirement, following the lead of St Ives, and only affordable housing – including Community-led housing - will be supported on land outside the three settlement boundaries provided it can demonstrate that it will meet clearly identified local housing needs.

Other projects prompted by the plan are already in progress, including a Devon Air Ambulance Trust night landing site and a Community WiFi scheme. A Community-led housing initiative is also underway. These projects all have the support of the plan.

Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, Tony Goddard, said: “It is really important people use their vote on June 28. This document is about preserving the special qualities of the parish and encouraging appropriate new development for the benefit of future generations.

“It is going to play a vital role in the coming years in Bantham, Buckland and Thurlestone and we want to encourage as many residents as possible to come along to the Parish Hall in Thurlestone on the 28th to cast their vote.”

In its representations, Historic England commended the Thurlestone Parish Neighbourhood Plan on the degree of emphasis given to the protection and enhancement of local historic character, and said: “Many plans share similar aspirations but not all develop them to the extent displayed by Thurlestone’s.”

Natural England commented: “We are pleased to see that the richness of the local environment and the value placed upon it by the local community comes through in this document”. Whilst the Environment Agency supported the objectives of the plan, especially the objective to: “conserve and enhance the parish’s natural environment for future generations of residents and visitors.”

In his Report to South Hams District Council, the independent examiner congratulated the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and the Parish Council for producing: “a well-focused and locally distinctive neighbourhood plan which has been produced in a very timely fashion. The Plan is well set out and particularly its use of photos portrays what a beautiful part of the world it covers.”

He went on to say: “The policies cover matters which are clearly of importance to the communities of the settlements that make up the Plan area. I believe it has made a strong case for neighbourhood plan policies which are specifically geared to the three settlements of Buckland, Thurlestone and Bantham.

“The policies will maintain the protection of this particularly unspoilt part of the countryside and coast, whilst meeting the needs and aspirations of those that live here or visit.

“I am therefore delighted to recommend to the South Hams District Council that the Thurlestone Parish Neighbourhood Plan, as modified by my recommendations, should now proceed to referendum.”