MOULTON’S Neighbourhood Plan is close to advancing to referendum, after it was given the green light by an independent inspector.

The plan – which has been put together by the parish council and village volunteers – will help influence development in the village through to 2030.

While it cannot block or allocate development like the Local Plan, it gives residents a say in how any future homes, businesses and other expansion takes shape.

Independent examiner Bob Yuille – a town planner and former government planning inspector – conducted a site visit and looked at consultation documents, recommending the plan advance to referendum subject to some small changes.

The plan deals with six key categories, being general principles, housing, design and heritage, environment and open space, transport, and community facilities and tourism.

Mr Yuille said: “[The plan] seeks to protect a gap between Moulton and the neighbouring village of Davenham. There is considerable public support for this policy and, having visited the area, I can see that there is a threat of the two villages coalescing. There is, therefore, merit in maintaining the separate identity of these villages. However, the majority of that gap is outside the Plan area. This is contrary to the legal requirement that the Plan’s policies relate to the development and use of land in the whole or any part of the designated Neighbourhood Plan Area.”

His report added that the plans for the development of Regent Street have had three ‘serious expressions of interest’ and there is a ‘realistic prospect of the site being delivered within five years’.

He added: “The preparation of a plan can be an exacting task requiring a clear vision of how the area should develop, close attention to public opinion, the ability to assemble and assimilate evidence and a thorough grasp of the sometimes arcane intricacies of the planning system. The parish council and its steering group have risen to these challenges and are to be congratulated on producing a clear and concise plan.”