AFTER an 18-month struggle, the local residents behind Okehampton?s Town Design Statement have finally succeeded in getting the document recognised by West Devon Borough Council. Chartered architect Nils Westman said the group was ?really chuffed? at the council?s decision which he described as a ?victory for local views?. The council?s future planning and housing committee recently decided that the ?recommendations and guidelines contained in the Okehampton Town Design Statement be agreed for use as background material when preparing the Okehampton Area Action Plan and be taken into consideration when determining planning applications.? Mr Westman said with even more housing applications coming in for Okehampton, the design statement was more important than ever. The borough?s principal planning policy officer Chris Dunford said: ?The document has been prepared with a significant amount of community involvement and would be of value when developing future policies for the Okehampton area. ?It could also be a useful material consideration when considering planning applications in the area.? Mr Westman said the group would be updating the statement to reflect the changing nature of Okehampton. He said traffic, which had been identified in the report, remained a key issue as congestion problems around the town appeared to be increasing. The statement has been agreed as a guidance document only and the guidelines within it are to be considered by planning officers, when they are considering new planning applications. Mr Westman said the need for local distinctiveness ? to promote development which is in keeping with or harmonious and/or respects the local building style ? was a key reason for consideration of the guidelines within the statement. He said since the statement was produced 18 months ago a number of matters it had identified were currently being considered by the planning authority, such as: play space provision for housing schemes; road infrastructure, including the idea of a subsidised bus service, and payment for future education provision and community facilities. Mr Westman said the only matter where movement seemed to have been slow was on the development of the Old Mill site which the group felt was ?a key location for a community resource building, which could house a cinema, library or youth facilities?. Robert Plumb, West Devon Borough Council?s regeneration officer, said the sale of the Old Mill site for development for community use was now moving forward. ?We have appointed Alder King to manage the marketing of the site. At the moment, we are at the expression of interest stage, and the deadline for that will be at the end of the month. ?They will then draw up a shortlist for us to consider. We will invite more detailed information and will see what is realistic. Hopefully, we will be able to bring it back before the environment and community committee in October.? It is understood Alder King has already had a few responses from interested parties.
