DURING 2014 West Devon Borough Council Strategic Planning staff have been preparing a replacement for the existing Local Plan/Core Stategy, which was to have lasted until 2026. The new one, called 'Our Plan', will be the overarching strategic plan for the whole borough until 2031, covering such issues as community wellbeing, energy needs, landscape protection, employment growth, housing and infrastructure.   A public consultation on several important parts of the plan is going on at the moment but there has been very little publicity about it.   I am worried that the majority of the public don't know about it and will not have the chance to express their views before the closing date, January 5, 2015. I'm sure you are all very busy preparing for Christmas but it is really important that we all find out about what is being proposed — in particular how much development WDBC say is needed and where it should go — and send them our comments. Once it is approved, this plan will be in place for the next 16 years, so it's up to all of us to make sure it reflects our views before it is too late! You can find details of Our Plan at http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/ourplan">www.westdevon.gov.uk/ourplan. Scroll down the page to find links to issues 4, 5 and 6 of the latest news bulletins which tell you about the sections of Our Plan being consulted on: environment and heritage, resources, and planning for development in our communities. They each contain links where you can respond directly.   Further down the web page are links to three draft documents which are also part of the consultation and give a lot more detail about the housing development issues. They are lengthy but worth reading if you have the time.   The first contains the future housing targets to 2031, the second sets out the available sites and expected number of houses to be built in the next five years, and the third goes into detail about eight possible options for development sites around Tavistock (including land at St Andrew's Road and Anderton Lane). So why not grab a mince pie and have a look? And don't forget to tell WDBC what you think by January 5!   If you have any queries, or to sign up for future news bulletins, you can email strategic.planning @westdevon.gov.uk or phone 01822 813600. Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas, Alison Wright Whitchurch