East Devon District Council’s Strategic Planning committee will meet on Thursday 23 July to discuss plan

East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge councils are all considering whether to begin the next round of consultation on the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP).  Exeter City Council is the first of the authorities to discuss the proposals at a meeting next Tuesday 7 July and they published the GESP document today. (Monday June 29)

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first opportunity for East Devon District Council’s Strategic Planning committee to meet and view the proposals is on Thursday 23 July. The council has committed to nothing more than deciding whether to take part in the consultations on the plan which would take place from September.

The GESP proposals include draft planning policies and large scale development options across all four council areas for the next twenty years up to 2040. It will tackle big planning issues affecting the Greater Exeter area, of which East Devon is part. The GESP will also identify possible development sites across the area, including large regeneration sites in Exeter.

Cllr Paul Arnott, East Devon District Council’s Leader, said:

The last councils of 2015-19, and 2019-20, took part in an internal discussion with other councils about co-operating as a joint planning entity.

With a new administration for 2020-21, this is to be considered at the Strategic Planning committee on 23rd July in the emerging post-Covid-19 context and we will need to assess it anew in light of the possible changed shape of housing need and the economy.

Our friends at Exeter have begun to discuss the GESP document analysing the call for sites, but of course, until our own Strategic Planning committee discusses the next steps the district council’s position on going out to consultation is not yet decided.

Teignbridge District Council will discuss the proposals on Tuesday 21 July, and Mid Devon District Council on Thursday 6 August. 

The councils have been asked to carry out the consultation from September, which was originally planned for June, following Government advice that planning authorities should continue despite Covid-19.  The consultation would ask for the public to have their say on the draft policies and site options, which would influence the next stage.

Further information about Greater Exeter Strategic Plan is available on the GESP website.