A PLAN on neighbourhood infrastructure that residents voted for in a referendum ‘must be respected and adhered to’, a council meeting heard.

Burnham residents went to the polls on Thursday last week to vote for a plan on how issues such as housing, infrastructure, flooding, parking and schooling should be approached.

In total 1,432 people voted yes, with 204 voting no.

At a Burnham Town Council meeting on Wednesday last week, Ron Pratt, chairman of the steering group behind the plan, thanked those who had worked on it.

He said: “I would like to offer huge thanks to everyone past and present who helped draw up and bring this neighbourhood plan into practice.

“It was a long, hard old slog, but it’s finally happened after many months of hard work, and this will be a great result to those who have stuck with it until the bitter end.”

The plan has been in the pipeline since 2013, and is dedicated to Burnham stalwart Ian Sisterson, who had contributed to its development until his death in June last year.

Proposals include a new amenity space for the north of the town, expansion of education facilities, reassessing the size and setting of the station car park and improvements to roads and bus routes.

Peter Elliott, of Burnham South Ward, proposed the plan as an official item for each council meeting’s agenda.

He said: “Whilst the residents of Burnham gave a resounding ‘yes’ to support this plan, it must still be passed through Maldon District Council at their next full council meeting.

“Now, as a town council, it is our duty to ensure everything in this plan is respected and adhered to for future planning developments. I propose to have it as a regular item for the council’s meetings so we can keep tabs on all progress.

“It should be said that we are the first neighbourhood in the Maldon district to have produced a housing plan, which is something we should be shouting the roof off about.”

Burnham resident John Hitcham added: “I greatly appreciate the residents’ and council’s backing of this plan, but in order for it to work, from now on it must all be adhered to and put into practice.”