A PLAN which details how the future of Overton will develop over the next 15 years has been narrowly approved by residents.

A referendum on the Overton Neighbourhood Plan was held in the village on Thursday, June 23.

Villagers cast their votes at the same time as the EU referendum as to whether they wanted ‘Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Overton to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area’.

As it fell on the same day as the EU referendum, the turnout was high with 71 per cent of residents casting their vote for the future of their village.

And like the EU referendum, the result was very close with 53 per cent of residents voting ‘Yes’ and 47 per cent voting ‘No’.

Only five votes out of 2,447 did not count due to ‘voting for more than one answer’ or ‘being unmarked or voided’.

The plan allows village residents to have their say on how the borough allocates a further 150 new homes throughout the area following an agreement for 120 homes on Overton Hill.

It sets out how the homes are to be split into four nominated sites: south of Two Gate Lane, west of Sapley Lane Playing Field, north west of Overton Primary School, and east of Court Drove.

Lucy Sloane-Williams, chairman of Overton Parish Council, said: “I was quite pleased that there was such a strong campaign on both sides.”

However another councillor on the parish council has criticised how the ‘Yes’ campaign was run.

On how he felt about the results, Cllr Ian Tilbury said: “It’s an absolute mess, it was such a confused referendum.

“I think it’s an absolute disaster for the village.”

He said that he tried to stay neutral in the proceedings but felt compelled to point out the factual inaccuracies that were in the ‘Yes’ leaflets.

Cllr Tilbury added: “The whole thing is quite shocking really.

“If it had been done properly then it could have benefitted the village. In theory I would have supported a decent plan.”

Cllr Sloane-Williams said the next step is to wait for the borough officers to check through the plan to see that it conforms to EU and human rights regulations.