Cllr Todd Olive talks to residents about the new community
Cllr Todd Olive talks to residents about the new community

East Devon residents are invited to have their say about two options for a new community in the district.

Two concept masterplans are available to the general public at a drop-in event at Westpoint Centre today (16 September) from 11.30am-7.30pm. An online consultation is also open from 16 September until 7 October: Have Your Say Today - East Devon New Settlement - Commonplace.

Working 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 create a self-sufficient and dynamic community for up to 8,000 homes by 2050, alongside employment space. It will also be home to a wide range of facilities, from schools and shops to parks and playing pitches, along with transport and sewage infrastructure improvements. 

Cllr Todd Olive, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning, said:

“I urge our residents to review these two masterplan options for the new community that is crucial for delivering sustainable new homes for local people.

“We want to create a community that will become a first-class example for others to follow. We are taking practical steps to make sure we are setting the vision for this community to meet local needs and to ensure that will be delivered on the ground.

“We are learning lessons from new developments around the country, including locally in Cranbrook. We are doing things differently from the outset, taking an assertive approach to make sure that the new community will be a great place to live, work and study.

“The online consultation is an important chance 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 use it.”

The evolving Local Plan identifies an area south of Exeter Airport and the A30 and north of the A3052 as the preferred location for the new community. If it goes ahead, the new community would provide up to 2,500 homes until 2042, as well as community facilities in a biodiverse and zero-carbon environment.

EDDC 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.