Byfleet Neighbourhood Plan referendum to go ahead
A local referendum on the Byfleet Neighbourhood Plan will take place on Thursday 7 May, following a decision by Council during last night’s meeting (Monday 2 March).
The Byfleet Neighbourhood Plan covers a range of planning policies for the Byfleet Neighbourhood Area including design, the village centre, employment sites, trees, hedges and woodland, flood management, local green spaces and heritage.
If supported, the plan will be taken to Council for formal adoption. Once adopted, it will become part of the statutory Development Plan for the area and used when determining planning applications in the Byfleet Neighbourhood Area.
The decision follows public consultation between August and September 2025, and an independent examination of the draft plan prepared by the Byfleet Residents’ Neighbourhood Forum.
The Examiner, an independent planning professional appointed to assess whether the draft plan meets the required legal standards, concluded that, subject to several recommended modifications which Council has accepted, the plan meets the legal ‘basic conditions’ and should proceed to local referendum.
Cllr Louise Morales, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, said:
Neighbourhood planning gives communities a real voice in shaping the future of their local area.
I’m pleased that the Byfleet Neighbourhood Plan has reached this important stage, thanks to the Byfleet Residents’ Neighbourhood Forum and the many residents who contributed along the way.
I encourage everyone in Byfleet to take part in the referendum on Thursday 7 May and have their say on the plan.
The referendum will go ahead on Thursday 7 May within the Byfleet polling districts, which coincide with the Byfleet Neighbourhood Area.