Residents can have say on village future

A referendum on the Warton Neighbourhood Plan is being held on the same day as the Lancashire County Council elections and officials of Bryning-with-Warton Parish Council, which has compiled the Plan, are hoping for a bumper turnout.

The effect of a large number of new homes on the village has long been a bone of contention in Warton and Jessica Ashworth, chairman of the Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, said: “An adopted Neighbourhood Plan will give us more power in dealing with developers.

“Our rural surroundings must be protected and the aim of the Plan is to help ensure that new housing developments demonstrate good design, respect local character and where possible, reinforce local distinctiveness.

“The developers will be contributing to our aim for regeneration schemes through their public realm commitments and hopefully providing better access to the better facilities we are aiming for.

“These include clear, safer pedestrian routes, additional and safe parking via a traffic management plan and better landscaping and recreation facilities.

“It is essential we have an adopted Neighbourhood Plan in place that ensures that improvements to the village are fully realised and that the new communities are properly integrated into the village – to the benefit of both existing and new residents.”