CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride held a meeting with Devon County Council representatives on Friday, February 12, to talk about the future development of schools and other infrastructure in the county.

David Black, Devon County Council’s head of planning, transportation and environment was in attendance alongside Sarah Ratnage, DCC’s school infrastructure and place planning officer.

The county council is currently developing a number of projects across Devon including expanding Okehampton Primary School, with a view to moving to a larger site in the coming years, adding new classrooms in Crediton in both Hayward’s and Landscore Primary Schools, and replacing older schools in Newton St Cyres and Chagford.

Mr Stride said: “I welcome the ambitious targets set by Devon County Council and am pleased to see them planning so well for the future.

“The development in Okehampton and the attention paid to the need for more classrooms in Crediton are in particular very positive developments that I know pupils and teachers will benefit from over the course of many years.

“Education is an essential service and having good infrastructure is a vital part of providing it.”

Mr Black added: “Devon County Council is always working hard to ensure that existing schools are fully maintained and when necessary redeveloped to provide the best educational environment for pupils and teachers. New developments, for instance that in the South West of Exeter, are also being catered for with new schools planned for these areas.”

Under the coalition Government school building legislation was changed so that it became easier for schools to be renovated and redeveloped when required, prioritising those in the poorest condition.

This change benefitted the schools with the greatest need.

Also discussed at the meeting was the Okehampton rail link and Okehampton link road.

The rail link will be funded for at least another year by Devon County Council and the link road is currently identified in the West Devon Core Strategy as having a very high priority and is being funded in part by housing developments in the area.

Alan Quick