THE LISS Neighbourhood Development Plan has been approved by village residents.

Voters were asked whether the South Downs National Park Authority should use the plan as the basis for planning decisions in Liss.

Of those people who voted, 1,251 answered yes and 177 no, with 87.7 per cent of those who voted supporting the plan. The referendum was run last Thursday, and 30 per cent of the residents eligible to vote did so.

The plan has been through extensive consultation at public meetings, exhibitions and online, considered by an independent examiner and also considered by the South Downs National Park Authority, which is the planning authority for the area.

The final decision on approving the plan has been down to the referendum, and the Neighbourhood Development Plan will now be adopted as part of the development plan for Liss.

Liss Parish Council chairman Roger Hargreaves said: “This is really good news for Liss. We can now properly plan for future housing, protect green space, and stop development spreading into the countryside.

“It also means that 25 per cent of money raised by a levy on housing development will go to the parish council to spend on local services and infrastructure.

“The plan is the culmination of a huge amount of work over the past three years by volunteers from the village.

“The parish council are very grateful to Sir John Dunt, chairman of the group steering the work, and to all the members of the steering group and the various working groups who contributed to the plan.

“It has been a real community effort and the village can be proud of what it has achieved. We also owe much to the support we have received from officers at the South Downs National Park Authority.”

Liss Parish Council vice-chairman Keith Budden added: “I’m very pleased and it’s good to see such a high ratio of votes for the plan.

“The turnout of 30 per cent is good for a neighbourhood plan referendum, and it is a very clear mandate that the village is happy with the plan.

“I can’t ask for more, it is a very good result.

“It exceeded our expectations, and now we can get on and deliver the plan.

“Most people I have spoken to seem quite content with the plan.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

“If a planning application came in tomorrow the plan would carry great weight.”