Residents of Witherley, Fenny Drayton, Ratcliffe Culey and Atterton are being invited to comment on the Draft Witherley Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).

The formal Regulation 14 consultation opened this weekend and will close on 8 January 2021.

Councillor Brian Conway, Chairman, Witherley Parish Council said: "We are consulting on the draft plan and associated evidence base. We are looking to gather the views of all stakeholders, particularly those who live, work or carry on business in the parish. Once their comments have been scrutinised, the draft plan and its associated documents will be amended as necessary before being submitted to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council for examination."

The draft pre-submission NDP and supporting evidence are available to view and download from the parish council website.

This is the first of two formal consultations before an independent examiner is appointed and the final version of the NDP goes to a referendum of all electors in Witherley Parish.

Introduced through the Localism Act 2011, neighbourhood planning empowers local people to take a proactive role in shaping the future of the area in which they live.

Neighbourhood Development Plans become part of the wider Local Plan and are used to determine the outcome of planning applications.