Teignbridge District Council has listened and responded to feedback received on the draft Local Plan, making changes to the plan which will be considered by Councillors on Tuesday, October 17.

The draft Local Plan is a document which sets out a vision for future development in the district, detailing policies, proposals and actions that will enable us to meet the environmental, social and economic challenges facing the area.

The current housing crisis means there aren’t enough homes for local people in the area. To tackle this issue, the Government determines how many homes need to be built in an area, while a Local Plan proposes where’s best for these homes to be built. Teignbridge’s draft Local Plan also proposes land for employment to ensure we provide job opportunities for local people, and aims to protect valued environments, create more public open spaces, tackle climate change and promote low carbon energy to help secure future energy needs.

Building on previously developed, vacant or under-used land is a priority for the Council, and the plan has been influenced by a desire to develop brownfield sites first. Proposed locations of most new homes are close to jobs, services and sustainable transport, and finding smaller sites for housing in larger villages to sustain essential local services.

Residents, community groups, town and parish councils, and businesses, as well as developers, and national organisations have shared their views and expertise on earlier versions of the plan in five consultations, which took place from 2017 to early 2023. Following a review of around 1,000 comments received in the most recent consultation, final amendments have been made to the plan. These include proposals to delete both Newfoundland Way Car Park (in Newton Abbot) and Le Molay Littry Way (in Bovey Tracey) as housing development sites; and proposals to add small housing sites in Kenton and Ipplepen, and a site in the south of Dawlish. The plan also includes a new Design Code for the west of Newton Abbot, which includes the proposed new neighbourhood of Bradmore.

Head of Place and Commercial Services, Neil Blaney said: ‘The feedback will help us reach our vision of Teignbridge being a thriving, beautiful and sustainable place where people want to live, work and play for generations to come.’

Councillors will review the amendments to the draft plan and decide whether to proceed with the latest and final consultation. Unlike the previous consultation which sought views on the entire plan, if the changes get the green light, the public will get a chance to have their say on these specific changes in a six-week ‘Addendum’ consultation taking place from the end of October. Copies of the Addendum Local Plan documentation will be available in libraries, town and parish council offices, Forde House and on our website.

The final plan and all comments received will be submitted for examination in public by the Planning Inspectorate. Anyone who submits a written objection will have a right to appear before and be heard by the Inspector at the Local Plan Examination Hearing.