Weald villagers went to the polls last Thursday to help decide future development plans for their community.

The result was a large majority in favour of adopting the Neighbourhood Plan, put forward by Capel Parish Council.

Residents of Five Oak Green, Tudely and Capel were asked to cast their vote in a local referendum.

The turnout was 24.4%, with 412 votes in favour of the plan, and 47 against, with one spoilt ballot.

It means the plan will now go before Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for ratification at their meeting on October 2, after which it will officially become part of the planning framework used to determine future development applications in the area up to 2038.

In recent years, the parish council and many residents have fought hard to oppose an allocation in Tunbridge Wells council’s own draft Local Plan for a 2,800-home garden village at Tudeley.

But that has since been dropped - for the time being at least - after the government planning inspector tasked with examining the Local Plan also raised concerns.

The 157-page Capel Neighbourhood Plan does not itself allocate sites for development, but sets out policies which seek to retain the rural nature of the community, enhance biodiversity and respect the nature of each of the communities and the Green Belt that surrounds it.

It stresses the need for smaller homes in any development, more affordable homes, and the need to ensure adequate flood mitigation and measures to guard against light pollution.