FURTHER ideas about future development on land south of Barnfield, Crediton will be the subject for a morning of discussion on Saturday, March 22 at the Boniface Centre, Church Lane, from 9.30am to 1pm.

When new housing developments come forward for planning permission, residents often wonder why they haven’t heard about them before and why their views about them don’t seem to make any difference.

The answer is that planning decisions are made about land available for development years before an application for planning permission appears.

Through Mid Devon District Council’s Local Plan process, land is identified, usually for housing, but it can also include employment sites or a school site, for example.

The development at Pedlarspool was brought forward through the current Local Plan which runs to 2033.

Mid Devon District Council has begun the process of creating the next plan which will cover the period to 2048.

There was a call for available sites a couple of years ago and another call was announced recently.

Through the Housing and Land Availability Assessment (HELAA), the district council decides which of the sites that have been put forward are suitable for development and then includes them in their plan. The plan has several stages of consultation before it is adopted.

Usually, town and parish councils and their residents are not involved before the HELAA process is completed.

This means that important decisions about which land is going to be used for what purpose are made before the consultation stage begins.

Crediton Town Council believes that residents should have their say at the earliest stage possible.

Last year, Crediton Town Council and Sustainable Crediton held a Community Conversation about the land south of Barnfield.

Most of this land was identified for potential development several years ago.

It is the last tract of undeveloped land inside the town boundary. Lots of ideas were put forward about how it should be used to benefit the town.

These ideas have now been amalgamated into a Vision for the land.

The Town Council and Sustainable Crediton’s Climate Action Team have organised a morning workshop to present the Vision and add detail to it.

There will be a full morning’s programme inviting views on housing, economic and educational opportunities, agriculture, sustainable transport and more: What kind of housing is needed in Crediton and how should it be designed? What kind of environment? How can our Vision contribute to the town’s economy and opportunities for young people?

Answers to these questions will strengthen the proposals for the kind of development people have said they want to see.

Mid Devon District Council have said that they want communities to contribute to their new Local Plan.

The Town Council hopes that the ideas from our community will be included in the plan for Crediton as it develops.

Everyone is welcome: It’s your town: come and help shape its future. Refreshments will be provided!

If you can’t attend and wish to discuss these issues, please contact Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking: [email protected] .

Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking

Crediton Town Council