Referendums

A referendum is a vote on a single issue. You usually make a choice between two options. 

Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it. 

Types of referendum

Neighbourhood Plan

If an area of Dacorum wishes to produce a Neighbourhood Plan to have more say over housing and development, it must hold a referendum for the people who live there. This is to establish the level of community support for the plan.

Find out more about neighbourhood planning.

National, regional and local

Referendums can be:

• national: where people across the whole of the UK can vote
• regional: where only people in a certain part of the UK can vote - for example, North West England
• local: held by councils for people in their area to test public opinion on local issues.

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) establishes a fixed legal framework for the conduct of a referendum held in the UK.

Mayoral

Most councils operate "executive arrangements". There are three types of executive arrangement, two of which involve a directly elected mayor:

• mayor and cabinet;
• mayor and council manager.

The other involves a leader (who is elected by councillors) and cabinet. This is the system we use in Dacorum.

Councils must consult on which arrangements local people want. If there is a proposal to have a mayor, the council must hold a binding referendum. Local residents can also require a mayoral referendum by organising a petition signed by five per cent of local electors or more.

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