How to vote in your Neighbourhood Plan Referendum on May 27, 2021

Neighbourhood Plan Poll Card

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN REFERENDUM TAKES PLACE ON MAY 27, 2021

We urge all residents of Eastwick, Gilston and Hunsdon to VOTE YES by voting at their Village Halls in person on May 27, or using a postal vote.

This IS NOT a vote about whether you agree the housing development across the Gilston Area should be allowed. We sadly lost that fight back in 2018 when the Inspector at the Examination in Public agreed the East Herts District Plan could go ahead.

It IS a vote about whether East Herts Council and the developers must take account of the Policies within your Neighbourhood Plan.

Vote “YES” gives local people a voice. Once it passes, the Plan becomes a Policy Document and planners and developers have to listen and deliver on their promises of seven Garden Villages with housing of exceptional quality, and 1,000 acres of community owned open spaces. It gives local people a voice.

It’s critical that after two years work on your Neighbourhood Plan we get it over the final hurdle and not leave it all to the planners and developers to do whatever they want in our Neighbourhood.


With thousands of hours of work and your input, support and passion, the Gilston Area Neighbourhood Plan has been through a rigorous public process and will be adopted if the local community votes for it. You can read the plan at our website.

The Referendum will be conducted by East Herts Council who will send you a Poll Card. If you want to check if you are eligible to vote, you can phone EHC electoral services on 01279 655261. The question – to which you’ll be able to answer YES or NO – reads:

Do you want East Hertfordshire District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Gilston Area to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?

If more than 50% of voters say YES, the Plan will become a major planning document which East Herts Council will have to use in deciding on all future planning decisions in the Area covered by the Plan.

Promoted and published by the Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group on behalf of the Parish Councils of Hunsdon and Eastwick & Gilston.