THE team behind the Okehampton Town and Hamlets Neighbourhood Plan is asking for local landowners to put forward land that can be looked at for smaller housing developments, employment land, green spaces and land suitable for sports and leisure activities.

Cllr Tony Leech, who is helping with the development of the neighbourhood plan, said: ‘Over the last few years, West Devon Borough Council has asked landowners to put their land forward for possible housing and employment land in the future.

‘The land put forward has then been evaluated by an independent panel that would sit and decide which areas were suitable and which were not. The land that was chosen has gone into the previous town plans, the Core Strategy and now the Joint Local Plan.

‘It is clear that a lot of people in our community were not happy with some of those decisions. We can’t change what has already been agreed, but under the neighbourhood plan, the community now has the chance to decide for themselves where future development should take place.

‘Alongside the applications, we will be asking for views on what style and type of housing we need in the future. Some of the ideas being put forward are self build, community housing, community land trusts, live/work accommodation and rent to buy schemes. It would be interesting to hear what type of development or land use the landowners would prefer for their land at the time they put it forward.’

Anyone interest can call 01837 53179 or write to Cllr Tony Leech at Okehampton Town Council, Town Hall, Fore Street, EX20 1AA, and the planning team will send an application form which should be returned to the town hall within a week of receiving it.

The neighbourhood plan team is asking that all applications of interest are sent or delivered to the town hall by Friday, March 10.

Any land put forward will then be included for consultation with the general public as soon as possible after that date.