Braunton residents say yes to neighbourhood plan

'The voice of Braunton will be now be heard' say district councillors as the village gave its support to a neighbourhood plan.

Last week’s referendum result means planners will now have to take account of 300-page document which sets out policies on how the village should develop when they consider planning applications.

Cllr Liz Spear (Lib Dem, Braunton East) who has previously described the Braunton neighbourhood plan (NP) as a ‘labour of love’ as it had taken seven years to put together said she is pleased that 17 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote.

A total of 1,046 residents voted for the plan which will last until 2031, with 114 people against.

“The total number who came out to vote is as good as some of the council elections, so I am pleased about that.” said Ms Spear. “An overwhelming majority [of people who voted] have put their trust in us and the neighbourhood plan which is great.

“When plans now go before the district council, the NP has to be taken into account. It’s really good that the voice of Braunton will now be heard.”

Cllr Graham Bell (Lib Dem, Braunton East) said the plan defined Braunton and gave it a personality and he hoped now as well as protecting and preserving things which made it unique like Braunton Burrows it would also result in more smaller homes being built that were affordable for local families.

“We have a lot of second homes in Braunton and some streets look derelict as there are no people living in the homes for much of the year.

“We want people who have grown up here to stay and not be forced out to Barnstaple, Exeter, Bristol and beyond. There are so few homes for smaller families and it’s so important we get it right at the planning stage as these homes are going to be there for 200 or 300 years.”

With a lack of land available in the parish and a housing emergency declared, the plan welcomes the development of what are called ‘exception sites’ outside the village boundary for affordable housing and says existing employment land and town centre premises should be protected.

Traffic and air pollution on the A361 are among the big issues for residents and these have been addressed in the plan.