Residents of Colyton parish will go to the polls tomorrow (Thursday) for a referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan.

The document, produced by Colyton Parish Council with the help of the community over the course of six years, will help shape developments in the area for the next decade and will be used as a reference when planning applications are considered by East Devon District Council (EDDC).

Registered electors will be able to place their vote at either Colyton Town Hall or Colyford Memorial Hall.

They will be asked to consider the following question 'Do you want East Devon District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Colyton Parish to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?'.

If more people vote 'yes' than 'no', then EDDC will make the plan and it will become part of the statutory development plan for East Devon, holding legal weight in decisions.

The document is the culmination of more than six years of work by volunteers from the local community and has been the subject of many heated and controversial discussions in recent years.

It seeks to ensure that the parish retains its character, natural beauty and vibrancy and is 'a uniquely characterful and caring place to live and work'.

Should the referendum be successful, it will be the twenty-third neighbourhood plan to be adopted in East Devon, taking neighbourhood plan coverage to well over 50 per cent of the total district population

Councillor Dan Ledger, EDDC's portfolio holder for strategic planning, said: "I would like to congratulate all those involved in helping to develop this plan which has been six years in the making!

"Neighbourhood plans are community led and help create a 'community vision for the area' which is made from what residents tell us they want and what their priorities are – like cycle paths, promoting transport needs, protecting heritage sites and much more.

"I can't encourage the Colyton community enough to turn out and vote on this neighbourhood plan."