The Counting Officer for Huntingdonshire District Council has decided that the Neighbourhood Plan Referendum for Bury, scheduled to take place on Thursday 26 March 2020, should be suspended until further notice.
The current and rapidly escalating situation with respect to the Covid-19 virus means that running the poll next Thursday would present a significant public health risk to staff and voters, and would put voters in a position where they would need to risk their health in choosing to exercise their right to vote.
The government are in the process of passing legislation which will force the suspension of all polls, including those midway through their timetables. We have been informed that this legislation is unlikely to receive Royal Assent soon enough to take effect before 26 March 2020.
In light of this, the government has issued a statement, making it clear that the suspension of polls underway would be "both reasonable and consistent with the national position". Furthermore, the government have made it clear that they will be lending their full support to "Returning Officers and others running polls" who make the decision to suspend their polls.
The Counting Officer will move forward with a new date for the referendum when it is safe to do so, and when government guidance permits.
The current and rapidly escalating situation with respect to the Covid-19 virus means that running the poll next Thursday would present a significant public health risk to staff and voters, and would put voters in a position where they would need to risk their health in choosing to exercise their right to vote.
The government are in the process of passing legislation which will force the suspension of all polls, including those midway through their timetables. We have been informed that this legislation is unlikely to receive Royal Assent soon enough to take effect before 26 March 2020.
In light of this, the government has issued a statement, making it clear that the suspension of polls underway would be "both reasonable and consistent with the national position". Furthermore, the government have made it clear that they will be lending their full support to "Returning Officers and others running polls" who make the decision to suspend their polls.
The Counting Officer will move forward with a new date for the referendum when it is safe to do so, and when government guidance permits.
A Referendum relating to the adoption of Bury Village Neighbourhood Plan will be held on 26 March 2020. The Referendum Version of the Bury Village Neighbourhood Plan can be found below under Specified documents.
The question which will be asked in the Referendum is:
"Do you want Huntingdonshire District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Bury to help it decide planning applications for the neighbourhood area?"
A person is entitled to vote in the Referendum if on 26 March 2020:
- he or she is entitled to vote in a local government election in the Referendum area and
- his or her qualifying address for the election is in the Referendum area. A person's qualifying address is, in relation to a person registered in the Register of Electors, the address in respect of which he or she is entitled to be registered.
Specified documents
- The Bury Village Neighbourhood Development Plan (Referendum Version) [PDF, 5MB]
- Report of the independent examiner [PDF, 0.4MB]
- Summary of the representations submitted to the independent examiner [PDF, 0.3MB]
- Statement by the local planning authority that the draft plan meets the basic conditions and complies with relevant legislation [PDF, 0.1MB]
- Information Statement [PDF, 0.6MB]
- A statement that sets out general information about town and country planning and the referendum [PDF, 91Kb]
- Decision Statement [PDF, 0.1MB]