OKEHAMPTON faces major expansion over the next decade — almost 900 new homes are to be built in the town and information released today (Thursday) reveals the development sites.
West Devon Borough Council's planners have been required by the Government to find 4,100 homes in the period 1995-2011 and the sites they have earmarked appear in the first draft of the Local Plan Review.
Allowing for completions since 1995, the number of houses with planning permission and an estimate of the number of infill house conversions that will be developed by 2011, the final figure for which land must be found is 1,900 homes. The Okehampton area will get 880 new homes.
The largest number of houses will be built on land east of the town on the Crediton Road where 320 are planned.
Other sites in Okehampton include:
l Laburnams, Exeter Road — 100 houses
l between Northfield Road and Wonnacotts Road — 40 houses
l east of Upcott — 95 houses
l North Road link — 30 houses
l south of Hatcheries, Exeter Road — 40 houses
l between Giblands and Laburnams — 75 houses
south of Giblands — 165 houses
North Tawton:
l south of Moorview — 110 houses
l former Wool Grading Centre — 45 houses
l remove site to east of High Street (allocated in the current Plan)
Hatherleigh:
l north of Moorview — 35 houses
l north of Claremont Place — 35 houses
l north of property known as Oslo — 20 houses
Spreyton:
l north of village — 20 houses
Exbourne:
l north of village — 10 houses
Highampton:
l east of Lindhurst — 10 houses
Northlew:
l north of Kimberlands — 20 houses
The borough council has carried out wide ranging participation exercises over the last two to three years to help formulate its plans for the next ten years. Extensive public consultation is still required and a number of exhibitions have been organised to galvanise the public into commenting on the contents of the latest Local Plan.
The Government also requires West Devon to provide for 25 hectares of employment land. A major site in Okehampton in Exeter Road, next to the existing industrial estate, has been identified which will link in with the main housing requirement with good access to the A30 and potential link to the railway.
The borough council aims to retain Hatherleigh market but has contingency plans to deal with effects of closure and reuse of the site.
And land has been earmarked for the proposed extension to Holsworthy Road Industrial Estate in Hatherleigh.
Over the next ten years, the council's main aim is to provide the existing shopping centre and say out of town developments will be resisted and new retailing encouraged to take place in the centre of Okehampton.
Employment land has been provided in North Tawton and Northlew and along the old A30 corridor.
West Devon's Local Plan goes before the public for six months consultation next Monday and people are urged to go along to a series of exhibitions and make their views known.
They will be staged on Saturday, September 9, Okehampton Charter Hall 10am to 4pm, Wednesday, September 13, Lifton Church Hall 2pm to 8pm; Tuesday, September 12, Old School Room, Hatherleigh 2pm to 8pm; Wednesday, September 20, Town Hall, North Tawton 2pm to 8pm.