A REFERENDUM will be held to give villagers the final say on a proposed housing plan.

Residents in Bradwell and Pattiswick will be voting on a neighbourhood plan which will clearly define where and what type of housing can be built in the village.

The plan has been worked on by parish councillors and community volunteers throughout the last three years and has been endorsed by an independent examiner.

Having also been through a public consultation, the scheme will now be put through a public vote in June where it will require more than 50 per cent of resident's support to progress to the next stage.

Tony Dunn, Bradwell with Pattiswick Parish Council Chairman, said: “The Neighbourhood Plan Group is very grateful to all the residents of the parish who returned the many questionnaires – these provided us with valuable input on the views of residents as the plan evolved and we have reflected those views in the draft Neighbourhood Plan.

"This is not the group’s plan, but the plan of the residents compiled by the group. The fantastic support from our residents has enabled us to achieve much in a relatively short space of time."

If approved, the plan will then be confirmed within an eight-week period and mean it will be considered when Braintree Council rules on any planning applications put forward for Bradwell or Pattiswick.

Braintree Council gave the green light to host a referendum during a cabinet meeting last week.

Housing and planning boss Lynette Bowers- Flint said: “Neighbourhood planning is all about giving small local communities the power and influence to shape the way its local area develops. I know how much hard work, time and effort the group has put into this important piece of work.

"The group should be very proud that this will be the first neighbourhood plan in the district to proceed to a local referendum."

The neighbourhood plan for Bradwell and Pattiswick is the most advanaced of the 11 that are being worked on in the Braintree district.

Other villages such as Coggeshall, Cressing and Hatfield Peverel.