REFERENDA and ballots have been much in the news recently. First we have had a new Labour leader elected – much to the dismay of almost every Labour MP I have ever worked with – who shakes hands with terrorists and refuses to sing the National Anthem.

Then we have the prospect of the first referendum in almost 40 years on Britain’s relationship with Europe that will be held in the next 18 months.

Next we have the SNP chuntering about having another vote for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom – so much for their “once in a generation” promises.

We also have progress in Parliament to amend outdated strike balloting laws.

If that was not enough we also have our own local referenda with votes on Neighbourhood Plans.

The Devizes and Pewsey plans were the first ones to be put before local residents and in both cases were passed by an overwhelming majority of those who voted. So why should we take the time to get involved in yet another ballot?

Well, first because the plans are excellent. A long-term statement for the future of each town or village that specifies how it should grow, develop or be preserved and this work is a tribute to the thousands of hours of unpaid work put in by local people who have developed the plans to this point.

Most importantly, however, the plans are binding. That means for the first time communities have a means of control over their own destiny – a development of houses or the loss of green space that is not indicated in the plan will be difficult and, equally, communities can’t just be preserved in aspic when local housing or amenities are desperately needed.

Of course, the statutory consultation and appeal processes still exist, but they too are strengthened by the existence of the plans which provide clarity on issues like development guidelines and settlement boundaries.

However, giving us this power also means giving us responsibility, particularly where there are differences of opinion or local disputes, and in many cases they will need to be thrashed out locally, rather than appealing to a council planning committee or trying to get central government involved.

I know that this can be uncomfortable, but it also means that decisions are made by us, rather than for us; and making decisions about the places we live in and love surely has to be better rather than passing the buck up the bureaucratic chain to Trowbridge or Whitehall.