BROADSTONE residents will be voting in a referendum on a local neighbourhood plan this week.

The Broadstone Neighbourhood Plan is a community-led plan that aims to guide future development in the Broadstone ward area.

The referendum will be held across the neighbourhood area on Thursday. Voters will be asked to decide on the question ‘Do you want the Borough of Poole to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Broadstone to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?'

Neighbourhood plans give local people the power to shape the area where they live or work and, if adopted, they become part of the statutory development plan and are used in decision-making when determining planning applications within the neighbourhood area.

The formal Notice of Referendum for the Broadstone Neighbourhood Plan has already been published by Borough of Poole's counting officer, Andrew Flockhart.

“It is important for residents living within the neighbourhood area to take part in the referendum as their votes will help shape the future of their local area,” he said.

Polling stations will be open between 7am to 10pm on Thursday. There will be two polling stations – Broadstone Methodist Church Hall, (entrance in Macaulay Road) and The Junction Leisure Centre, Station Approach.

The votes will be counted at the Civic Centre from 10am on Friday and the result will be announced later that day.