Where could new development go? North Devon and Torridge start work on joint Local Plan

Work is underway to establish where future development could take place across North Devon and Torridge, as the two councils prepare a new planning blueprint for the area.

North Devon Council and Torridge District Council formally began preparing their joint Local Plan on November 3, with the document expected to guide development across the two districts in the years ahead.

The plan will set out planning policies, land allocations and potentially broad areas for growth, although no specific locations for new housing developments have been identified in the councils’ latest assessment.

Instead, the authorities are gathering evidence to establish what development the area will need.

A Housing and Economic Needs Assessment is already underway to help establish the types and tenures of housing required across North Devon and Torridge.

The councils are also examining the future roles of towns and villages, with work progressing on a “settlement hierarchy”.

This ranks places by factors such as their size and the services they offer, including shops, schools, jobs and transport links.

It will underpin the categories each settlement is placed in, such as main town, local service centre or village, and the councils’ wider growth strategy. Those categories can influence how much new housing and other development a community could be expected to take.

In their newly published Gateway 1 self-assessment, the authorities said one of their next steps was to gain a fuller understanding of development requirements.

The document also identifies jobs and economic opportunity, transport, digital connectivity, infrastructure, flood risk, water management and environmental protection among the issues the new plan will need to address.

Residents are expected to have opportunities to influence the emerging proposals.

An initial consultation took place during the summer, with responses now being analysed to help shape the plan.

The next consultation, scheduled for February 8 to March 22, 2027, will invite feedback on proposed plan content and supporting evidence.

A further consultation on the proposed Local Plan is expected between February 2 and March 29, 2028, giving residents an opportunity to comment on the full draft before it is examined.

The councils are working towards adopting the new plan in April 2029.

However, they have acknowledged that meeting the government’s 30-month deadline will be challenging.

Their self-assessment identifies local government reorganisation and potential delays to national planning guidance and legislation among the risks that could affect the timetable.

The councils say they are monitoring those risks and remain confident they have established a timetable that will allow them to meet their planned milestones.

For now, the question of where future development could take place remains unanswered, with further evidence and public consultation expected to help shape the eventual proposals.