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

Braintree Council has confirmed residents in Bradwell and Pattiswick will be voting on their neighbourhood plan on June 27.

The plan, which will clearly define where and what type of housing can be built in the villages, 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 where it will require more than 50 per cent of resident's support to progress to the next stage.

A spokesman for Braintree Council said: "Following an independent examination undertaken by written representations, Braintree District Council now confirms that the Bradwell with Pattiswick Neighbourhood Plan (The Plan) meets the basic conditions and other legislative requirements, and will proceed to a Neighbourhood Planning Referendum."

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.

Other villages such as Coggeshall, Cressing and Hatfield Peverel are also pursuing their own neighbourhood plans.