Wimborne St Giles and Wool residents to vote on Neighbourhood Plans

Two communities could have Neighbourhood Plans if residents give them the go ahead.

Following the successful examination of the Wimborne St Giles and Wool Neighbourhood Plans, Dorset Council has agreed that the plans, as amended, can go to referendum. Residents must be registered to vote by 4 March 2025 to vote in these referendums.

Local referendums will take place in Wimborne St Giles and Wool on Thursday 20 March 2025, with local residents going to the polls to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the proposals.

The plans were drawn up by local people and agreed by their Parish Councils who felt confident that the plans reflect the hopes and views of their local communities.

What is a neighbourhood plan?

Neighbourhood plans were introduced in the Localism Act 2011 and aim to give residents more say in the future use of land and buildings in their area. For example, a plan can say where new homes, shops or offices might be built or where important green spaces might be protected.

If a plan is supported by a local referendum, it will be used to inform decisions on planning applications in consultation with the National Planning Policy Framework and the adopted Local Plan.

Cllr Shane Bartlett, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning, said:

“It takes a tremendous amount of work to pull together a Neighbourhood Plan. I congratulate all involved in getting to this stage.

“I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future development of Wimborne St Giles or Wool to view the plans and have their say.

“Residents will need to ensure that they are on the electoral roll if they intend to vote on the plans in these March referendums.”

View the plans

The Wimborne St Giles neighbourhood plan can be viewed online with hard copies of the supporting material on display in the Council Offices, Colliton Park, Dorchester, Verwood Library, and Wimborne St Giles Church.

The Wool neighbourhood plan can be viewed online with hard copies of the supporting material on display in the Council Offices, Colliton Park, Dorchester and Wool Community Library.

How to vote

The Wimborne St Giles and Wool Neighbourhood Plan referendums will be held on 20 March 2025. You have to be registered to vote by 4 March 2025 to vote in these referendums.

The polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 20 March 2025.  

You now need photo ID to vote at a polling station. If you don't have accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. Applications for Voter Authority Certificates must be received by 5:00 pm Wednesday 12 March 2025.

How to vote – post or proxy

To vote by post or proxy in these referendums, you will need to have filled in an application form and sent it to Electoral Registration. 

Postal and proxy vote application forms are available online or by emailing the Electoral Services team or calling 01305 838299.

Applications to vote by post must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 5 March 2025. To vote by proxy, application forms should be received by 5pm on Wednesday 12 March 2025. Questions can be emailed to: neighbourhoodplanning@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Alternatively, they can be posted to: Spatial Planning, County Hall, Colliton Park Dorchester DT1 1XJ.