Charvil Residents to Decide Future Development

Voters in Charvil will decide on Thursday 7 May whether to adopt a neighbourhood plan that shapes the village's growth for the next 15 years.

The referendum asks one question: should Wokingham Borough Council use the Charvil Neighbourhood Plan when determining planning applications? A majority "Yes" gives the plan statutory weight; a "No" means it's dropped.

The plan was led by residents and Charvil Parish Council, with work starting during the Covid-19 pandemic when volunteers first met over Zoom.

Katrin Harding (Lib Dem) urged people to vote: "It will help shape future development to deliver what Charvil needs and will support community infrastructure."

Key priorities include protecting green spaces (seven are proposed as Local Green Spaces), improving road safety, supporting walking and cycling, better local amenities, a mix of housing, higher design standards and sustainability measures. It also addresses traffic pressures and flood risk.

Parish councillor Pat Sutlieff said: "A lot of people contributed to this and it's taken us about three years."

Project lead Rob Jones said: "The Charvil Neighbourhood Plan has been five years in the making... what makes it so important is that it's been written by residents, for residents-bringing a strong local voice right into the planning process.

"We've carried out extensive engagement and consultation, and local feedback has directly shaped a practical set of policies that focus on the issues people in Charvil care about most."

Mr Jones said: "I truly believe a 'Yes' vote is a win for Charvil on every level."

If approved, the plan becomes part of Wokingham's planning rules and the council must take it into account when deciding applications in Charvil. It would also increase the share of developer contributions controlled locally.

Polling stations open 7am-10pm on 7 May. Voters must bring valid photo ID.

Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter