Public to have say on North Devon development plans

By awilshaw

A CRUCIAL plan which could radically alter the face of North Devon for generations to come will be open for public consultation in the new year.

The draft North Devon and Torridge joint core strategy, which provides a framework for all planning decisions, was discussed at a North Devon Council meeting on Wednesday last week.

The dry-sounding document will, if adopted, have a huge impact on the everyday lives of local people. It will influence how many and what types of homes are built in any area, and which land is developed for business and recreational use.

The strategy, which aims to be environmentally-friendly and to engage with communities about planning decisions at a local level, is already causing fear because of the large-scale developments it proposes for the Barnstaple area.

A new secondary school between Barnstaple and Bideford, a riverside country park in Barnstaple, as well as new housing estates and business parks, are among potential developments.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Albert Cook (Ind) attacked the strategy document for being "repetitive" because it used the word "sustainable" a number of times and Cllr Joe Tucker (Lib Dem) asked for reassurances the plan would help local people get affordable homes.

The Liberal Democrat group wanted to postpone a decision on going out to consultation. Cllr Malcolm Prowse (Lib Dem) said he had "no problem at all with most of the key issues" but argued members had only a "matter of days" to read the draft and needed longer to get to grips with it.

The Conservative group voted against the move to delay.

Cllr Colin Wright (Cons) accused the Lib Dems of failing to engage with the consultation so far: "We have had a poor turnout from the other side of the chamber," he said. He later added that the Lib Dems had "misunderstood" what they were being asked to vote on last week: it was a vote to go out to consultation not to approve strategy.

Ilfracombe councillor Paul Yabsley (Cons) said his town had already been properly consulted and he was happy to go out to further consultation.

But Cllr Rodney Cann (Cons) said: "Many people in the community would regard this plan as a nightmare scenario." He said he could not support the idea of linking Instow and Barnstaple with development.

When it was time to vote, the chamber split on party lines but Cllr Cann abstained.

Conservative-controlled Torridge District Council has already agreed to consult on the draft.

The strategy, which councils are legally-obliged to produce, will fit with the Government's regional spatial strategy (RSS), which was condemned by MPs and councillors for its top-down demands for homes.

The RSS identifies a need for 10,900 new dwellings in North Devon and 10,700 for Torridge, the majority of which will be in the main towns. The local authorities are required to identify "sufficient, specific and deliverable" sites.

In the joint core strategy each of the main towns in the districts has its own "spatial vision" based on the need to adapt to climate change, which is expected to bring flooding. Smaller areas would be able to identify needs to avoid a "top down" approach.

Barnstaple, including Fremington and Yelland, will be the focus for "significant levels of developments", the strategy states, while Bideford and Northam will be the focus for employment and housing development in Torridge.

Torrington, Holsworthy, Ilfracombe and South Molton should increase only to meet their own needs and "sustainable catchments".

There will be a six-week public consultation starting on January 21.