RESIDENTS go to the polls next month to decide if they want a plan which will help guide future development in Dursley. 

Following four years of hard work by a dedicated group of volunteers and town councillors, Dursley’s neighbourhood development plan (NDP) has been produced, so that future changes to the town can be guided by the wishes of the population. 

The plan, developed through extensive public consultation, has been formally examined and approved by Stroud District Council (SDC). 

And on Thursday, November 15, the community will decide in a referendum if the plan should be adopted by SDC and become a statutory document. 

If a majority of voters accept it, the plan will be given a legal status. All Dursley residents who are registered on the electoral register will be eligible to vote. 

To make sure the word gets out, Dursley Town Council (DTC) staff, along with members of the NDP steering group and town councillors have been pounding the pavements, delivering copies of a special NDP edition of the DTC newsletter to homes and businesses in the town. 

Krystyna Dembny, a member of the NDP Steering Group and lifelong resident of Dursley, is pictured here, posting a copy through a letter box.

She said: “I was keen to get involved with the NDP in order to ensure that any future developments in the area respect green spaces for people and wildlife.” 

DTC’s Anita Gambie said: “The NDP is important for Dursley as it will be used to guide decisions about where new developments can take place; protect green spaces, play areas and wildlife; support the local economy; and influence what new buildings look like. 

Laura Cooper, a resident, said: “I would also encourage the community to vote in favour of the plan as it will help protect green spaces in and around Dursley including land off Hardings Drive, which forms part of the beautiful back drop to our town.” 

Dr Jonathan Bird of the NDP steering group said: “We hope that you will turn out in thousands to make your wishes known.”

A full copy of the Dursley NDP can be viewed online at dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk or at the library or Dursley Town Council offices during opening hours.