Residents invited to have their say on East Devon's new Local Plan

East Devon residents wanting to have their say on how many homes are built and where in future years are being urged to share their views on a new Local Plan.

East Devon District Council's new Local Plan will outline how the district addresses the climate change emergency, how many new homes should be built and where, how and where new jobs should be created, how we should support our town centres and how we protect our built heritage and natural environment.

The Local Plan is the key document used in making decisions in East Devon.

Everyone who lives, works and spends time in the district has been asked to share their views about the future of the district as part of the East Devon's Local Plan Consultation, which is now live.

The consultation also seeks views on the quality of new developments and how this could be improved by changing how development is delivered in the district.

This could include encouraging a wider range of types of housing to be delivered by supporting self-builders and small local developers.

Councillor Dan Ledger, portfolio holder for strategic planning, said: "It is so important that people look at this consultation and tell us what they think.

"The future planning of East Devon is something that will really impact on all our lives for years to come.

"Unfortunately people often only get interested in planning issues when a specific development directly affects them but this plan will affect us all and how we as a community respond to key issues like climate change and housing our residents.

"I would urge everyone to use some of the extra time they now have at home due to lockdown to be proactive, to review this consultation and most importantly, have their say so that we can understand what is the right approach for East Devon.

"This is a key consultation and your chance to tell us how we should shape communities up and down East Devon, please use it."

The consultation can be viewed online at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/newlocalplan and comments can be made through an online form.

The feedback we receive to this initial consultation will be used to help inform and refine our thinking as the local plan is progressed.

The council has set itself a "challenging but exciting" programme to produce the local plan.

In just over a year's time, the council hopes to have a draft plan with lots more detail in it that residents will also be invited to comment on. Then, in late 2023 and into 2024, the council will move to a final version of the plan informed by the comments received that will then be subject to an examination in public by a government-appointed planning inspector.

Alongside the Local Plan consultation, the council is also offering the opportunity, through a 'call for sites', for people to identify land areas that they think would be suitable for development.

Councillors will look at the sites submitted and will choose from them a list of those that they think should feature in the local plan as future land for development.

As part of future consultation there will be the opportunity for people to comment on favoured site choices.