A RIGOROUS survey of brownfield sites for development is soon to be launched by West Devon Borough Council.
It has been forced by revised government guidelines to carry out a thorough review of the possibilities for rebuilding and renovation before applying to build on greenfield sites.
It will look again at the scope for development in Tavistock, Okehampton, North Tawton and Hatherleigh. The work is due to be started in the next few weeks and to be completed in time for the publication of the revised local plan in September.
Principal planner Chris Dunford said: 'We have to carry out an urban capacity study, but we expect no great surprises as we have already asked the question about brownfield sites in our public consultation exercise.'
He added: 'If we do find some urban sites to build on, we shall be pleased to be able to do so.'
However, Geoffrey Sworder, chairman of the Devon branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, said that such studies frequently found a lot more usable sites than anticipated.
'Councils are now also obliged to build at a much higher density in towns, where it is possible, so this could reduce the need to build in the country,' he said.
The new regional plan, scheduled for finalisation in the middle of the year, could reduce housing targets and thus the need to build on greenfield sites in West Devon.
The borough council has undertaken to build 1,900 new homes to meet the demand of Devon County Council. Whatever the council's final plan, it is likely to come to a public inquiry early next year.