February 2025 – Last chance to shape East Devon’s Future: Local Plan ready to go to Government inspector – https://eastdevonlocalplanreg19.commonplace.is
A six-week consultation on East Devon’s new Local Plan is being held before it is reviewed by a Government inspector and after that it should be adopted. The document being considered, outlines what development should go from now until 2042. The consultation, taking place between 13th February and 31st March, is the last chance for residents to share their comments on the plan before the review by the Government inspector.
East Devon District Council (EDDC) is preparing a new Local Plan that is expected to ultimately replace the existing Local Plan. The new plan is proposed to cover the period from 2020 to 2040 and more information can be found on their website – www.eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/emerging-local-plan/. The reasons for the decision to prepare a new Local Plan (to replace the adopted Local Plan 2013-2031) are:
(1) the current Local Plan was adopted in 2016 and is now more than 5 years old (the trigger point for a formal review). It was also prepared under the previous version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), prior to its update in 2019. A review of the current Local Plan indicated that there were a number of areas where the Plan was becoming out-dated.
(2) the withdrawal of East Devon from the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) and the discontinuation of the development of that proposed overarching statutory plan highlighted the need to review/revisit the overall development strategy for the district.
The most recently adopted statutory plan document will ultimately take precedence in the consideration of planning applications in the district. Neighbourhood Plans will need to take account of the emerging new Local Plan in their development (where not yet made or started) and a review of a made Neighbourhood Plan may be triggered. EDDC are keen to ensure through this process that the value of Neighbourhood Plans in the district, and the hard work involved in them, is recognised, supported, and where possible, enhanced.
Consultations and recent development updates:
EDDC will consult with the public at key points in the development of the new Local Plan and provide updates on recent developments as appropriate:
- February 2025 – Final public consultation before the plan goes to the Secretary of State
- September 2024 – Site Allocation Meetings: 1) EDDC Letter to Town & Parish Councils and 2) EDDC webpage about public participation . Meeting to discuss site allocations in Payhembury is scheduled for 23rd September
- May 2024 – 2024-05 Local Plan Update Presentation
2024-05 Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation Overview and Local Plan Consultation Webinar Notes.
- November 2023 – Neighbourhood Planning and Local Plan Update Autumn 2023 and Neighbourhood Planning Intentions Survey
- 14th July 2023 – EDDC Local Plan feedback report from the public consultation which ended on 15th January 2023. This is a 500 page document with supporting documents. Click here to see the list of documents and select the one you wish to read
- 14th July 2023 – Notes from the webinar on 15th June
- 15th June 2023 – Local Plan update
- 15th June 2023 – Agenda for meeting on 15th June to discuss ‘The new emerging East Devon Local Plan and Setting Housing Requirement for Designated Neighbourhood Are
- 15th June 2023 – Briefing notes for the meeting on 15th June on ‘Understanding Designated Neighbourhood Area (DNA) Housing Requirements (RA)’
- 1st December 2022 – 7 page briefing document about the proposals set out in the draft East Devon Local Plan, November 2022, for a new 8000 home community to the east of Exeter
- 24th November 2022 – East Devon Local Plan Consultation webinar – notes from the webinar
- 8th November 2022 – current working version – https://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/emerging-local-plan/draft-local-plan-consultation/. The Evidence Base and Supporting Documents are available here. Public consultation – 7th November 2022 to 15th January 2023.
- October 2022 – East Devon Local Plan webinar – question and answer notes.
- December 2021 – initial working draft – https://democracy.eastdevon.gov.uk/documents/s14545/1a%20Working%20draft%20local%20plan.pdf. Public consultation – closed 15th March 2022