THE blueprint setting out development guidelines for West Devon until 2026 will be presented to borough councillors at a meeting in Tavistock next Monday.

The borough's core strategy document, which has been through several rounds of public consultation, is recommended for approval by the council's future planning and housing committee.

For Okehampton, the document allows for the building of 900 dwellings between 2016 and 2026, a new primary school, creation of a link road between Crediton Road and Exeter Road, plus traffic relief measures in the town centre. The document also recognises the need for a new library and increased open spaces.

In Tavistock, development would include 750 new homes built on the south and western side of the town by 2019, reinstatement of the rail link between Tavistock and Bere Alston, extra healthcare facilities, new road links, expansion of Whitchurch Primary School and relocation and expansion of Tavistock Primary School.

The core strategy document has sparked controversy, particularly regarding the proposals for Tavistock. Many residents object to the extent and siting of the housing proposed on the western side of town, and to the idea of a link road between Callington Road and the A386, which would cut across the Crowndale Valley.

The future planning and housing committee has executive powers, which means a final decision could be made at Monday's meeting, if councillors accept the officers' recommendation approve the document.

Alternatively, the committee could recommend a decision is deferred to a future meeting of the full council.

Whichever decision is taken, no further public consultation will take place. Representations will be invited over a period of six weeks, and these will be sent directly to the planning inspector with the final core strategy document.

A public examination of the strategy is expected in the autumn. The council has a legal duty to prepare and keep up to date a local development framework, including a core strategy development plan, under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.