THE Crediton Neighbourhood Plan has reached an important milestone in its completion and has now been submitted to Mid Devon District Council.

The Neighbourhood Plan has been prepared by Crediton Town Council and a Steering Group, and has been shaped through engagement with the local community.

It includes a vision, a set of objectives and 34 policies for how the local community would like to see Crediton parish develop and change over the coming years.

The policies cover a range of topics, including principles for new development, affordable and custom and self-build homes, design, community facilities, shop fronts, cycle paths, renewable energy, employment, historic character, open space, trees, flood plains and green infrastructure.

Once the Neighbourhood Plan has been finalised these policies can be used to help guide planning applications submitted to the Council for determination and inform the decisions made on these, alongside the policies of the adopted Mid Devon Local Plan and Devon Minerals and Waste Plans.

The District Council says it is pleased to see that the hard work undertaken by the Town Council, the Neighbourhood Plan steering group and the local community has come to fruition with the submission of the Crediton Neighbourhood Plan and congratulates all those who have contributed to reaching this key milestone.

Cllr Richard Chesterton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration said: “The submission of the Crediton Neighbourhood Plan is excellent news for Mid Devon and will be the second Neighbourhood Plan in the district that will be examined, and if passed, be subject to a referendum.

“The Council is keen to support communities in producing their Neighbourhood Plans, thereby helping local people have a greater say in the future planning of their areas.”

The Crediton Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents have been reviewed by the District Council and are considered to meet the relevant legal and procedural requirements to proceed to the next stages, which will include a publicity period, followed by an examination of the plan.

As required by the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, Mid Devon District Council will publicise the submission of Crediton Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents for a consultation period which will conclude at 12 noon on Friday, January 14, 2022. During this period comments on the Plan can be submitted to Mid Devon District Council.

Additional documents that provide evidence of the context and process of the Crediton Neighbourhood Plan can be found on the Neighbourhood Plan website at: creditonnp.co.uk .

*These files may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format or to request the form in the post, please email [email protected] or contact us on 01884 255255.

Printed copies of the Neighbourhood Plan are available for inspection at the following locations:

MDDC Offices (Reception), Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton EX16 6PP (reference copy, by appointment only)

Crediton Town Council, 8a North Street, Crediton EX17 2BT (reference copy)

Crediton Library, Belle Parade, Crediton EX17 2AA (reference copy).

How to make representations on the plan proposals:

Please email comments to: [email protected] , making sure you include your name and address. You must provide these details for your response to be considered as a valid representation.

Comment forms are available at: https://www.middevon.gov.uk/media/353330/crediton-response-form-template.pdf should anyone wish to use one. These can be returned by email (as above) or posted to: Forward Planning, Planning Services, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, EX16 6PP.

Any representations may include a request to be notified regarding Mid Devon District Council’s decision under Regulation 19 whether to “make” the Crediton Neighbourhood Plan.

If you are commenting on specific sections of the plan, please indicate section headings or paragraph references in your response.

Please be aware that all representations received by the Mid Devon District Council will be publicly available.

If you require any further information, please contact the District Council Forward Planning Team: [email protected] or call 01884 234 334.

Further information on the Submission Publicity Period, links to the submitted documents and how to comment on the Neighbourhood Plan is available on the District Council’s website at: https://www.middevon.gov.uk/residents/planning-policy/neighbourhood-planning/crediton-neighbourhood-plan/ .

In the coming weeks, Mid Devon District Council in co-operation with Crediton Town Council, will appoint an independent and suitably qualified examiner to carry out the examination of the Neighbourhood Plan.

Following the publicity period, the Neighbourhood Plan will be submitted to the appointed examiner, along with supporting documents and comments made during the publicity period.

Following a successful examination, the Neighbourhood Plan will be subject to a local referendum.

If there is a majority vote in favour then the Neighbourhood Plan will come into force as part of the statutory development plan for the Crediton parish and be “made” (adopted) by Mid Devon District Council.