East Devon District Council (EDDC) are working in partnership with a renowned consultancy company to evaluate the potential of a new East Devon town.

The new town, which is intended to be in the north west area of East Devon, could include up to 8,000 new sustainable homes, as well as community facilities and amenities. It is hoped the new town would form a template of a biodiverse and zero-carbon environment.

By way of comparison, Cranbrook currently has around 2,500 homes.

CBRE is leading the consultancy. Advice will be provided on viability, construction options, environmental measures, viability, infrastructure, planning, and design.

Louise Wyman is CBRE's executive director of strategic development. She will be working alongside Simon Phillips, director of planning, as well as senior director Andrew Round. The team will receive technical support from partner organisations including Hydrock, Tibbalds and Pinsent Masons.

Louise said: "The next decade is likely to see significant changes to placemaking, due to the impact of climate change policy.

"The multi-disciplinary team led by CBRE are committed to producing proposals that are future proofed, where the principles of sustainable development and delivering a net zero community are embedded in our approach."

Councillor Paul Arnott, EDDC's leader and the authority's portfolio holder for strategic planning, said:

"Over the last three years, our council's priority has been to make sure that the views of the public on major initiatives such as this are heard through high-quality consultations.

"In our renewed Local Plan process, we welcome both members of the public and industry experts to share their opinions on how we shape the future of East Devon. As one of the cornerstones to this, we have commissioned the well-respected CBRE to start the arduous process of informing the council on preferred routes of travel to deliver a true 21st century community with net zero and sustainability at its core."