Pop in to see how East Devon’s new community could look
A public open day will be held on 16 September at Westpoint Centre for residents to find out how a new community in the nearby area could look.
As part of work on its new Local Plan, East Devon District Council (EDDC) has identified that a second new community in East Devon will be required to fulfil housing need.
This new community will be designed to create a self-sufficient and dynamic community with a distinctive character for up to 8,000 homes and associated employment. A community of this size will be able to support a wide range of facilities, from schools and shops to parks and playing pitches.
The emerging Local Plan has identified land to the south of Exeter Airport and the A30 and to the north of the A3052 as the preferred location for the new community. If taken forward, the new community would provide up to 2,500 sustainable homes during the new Local Plan period (until 2042), as well as a range of community facilities, in a biodiverse and zero-carbon environment.
Cllr Todd Olive, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning, said: "This new community is a key part of our strategy for delivering genuinely sustainable new homes. Large-scale development of this kind enables us to embed new jobs, local services, and green spaces – ensuring that we create a vibrant, sustainable new town that residents can be proud to call home.
"By developing a masterplan, we are seeking to ensure that the new community is delivered to an exemplary standard and avoids some of the pitfalls of a commercially-led approach that we have seen in recent history. Among other things, that means working hard to make sure that the right funding for infrastructure comes forward. We will be making the case for that support to government in the coming months.
"This drop-in event is an important opportunity for you to share your thoughts on the evolving masterplan, and to help shape what this new community will look like for decades to come. Please do use it."
The Council have been working with a technical team over the last 2 years to develop evidence to support the new community. Various locations were subject to extensive technical assessment and evaluation against key criteria which were consulted on as part of the draft Local Plan from November 2022 until January 2023. The preferred site option was approved by EDDC Councillors in December 2023, Strategic Planning Committee, 05/12/2023, Item 7.
Two concept masterplans will be presented to the general public at a drop-in event at Westpoint Centre on 16 September from 11.30am-7.30pm.
