General Discussion

The draft Local Plan for Teignbridge starts its official consultation period today, Monday January 23rd. The consultation will close on March 13th.

Once the consultation ends, the draft Plan and all comments received will be submitted for examination in public by the planning inspectorate. Anyone who submits a written objection will have a legal right to appear before and be heard by the Inspector at the Local Plan Examination Hearing.

Copies of the local plan documentation - including a summary Need to Know guide - will be available in libraries, town and parish council offices, Forde House and online.

Residents are encouraged to submit responses online using the feedback response form at www.teignbridge.gov.uk/lpconsultation. Alternatively, residents can write to Local Plan Review, Spatial Planning and Delivery, Forde House, Newton Abbot, TQ12 4XX or email localplanreview@teignbridge.gov.uk.

Unlike previous consultations which sought views on alternative options, this consultation is focused on whether the draft plan meets legal requirements, is in line with national policy and whether the council has cooperated with neighbouring authorities and statutory authorities in its preparation.

Text of Cllr Gary Taylor's report to DTC Full Council meeting to be held Weds. 1st Feb. 2023.

There will be no additional housing allocations in Dawlish, Holcombe, Cockwood or Teignmouth in the new draft 2040 Teignbridge Local Plan. Having considered all of the sites that came forward, the selected 'strategic' allocations are all expected to be clustered close to Exeter and Newton Abbot - with smaller sites also in non-coastal towns and larger villages.

As Teignbridge´s Executive Member for Planning, I would like to thank our Town Councillors and those members of the public who had responded so well in previous consultations. Over 7,000 responses we received, which were carefully read and collated - and are now available to view on TDC's Local Plan webpages. These responses helped greatly in shaping the Local Plan, which was taken forward by our officers and elected members through a cross-party Local Plan Working Group. There were particular concerns about new development on productive agricultural land and coastal headlands around Dawlish - and while proposals to build on these sites were ultimately rejected, some further protection is now offered, through additional 'Undeveloped Coast' classification on land at Warren Farm.

Cllr Lin Goodman-Bradbury was Chair of the Local Plan Working Group during the plan´s latter stages. Lin thanked the former Chairman and the members who had contributed to the new draft Local Plan when presented at Full Council.

The new Local Plan took many hundreds of hours of officer time to put together, guided by the strategic zero-carbon goals and environmental protections that the Working Group had agreed. If supported by a Government Inspector as expected, Teignbridge will get the new homes we need built, now closest to jobs, vital services and existing infrastructure. It should be noted that Government has recently announced changes to how its calculation for housing need in Teignbridge may apply in the future. Our existing district Local Plan was out-of-date, forcing Teignbridge's hand to go forward with a plan for the district. Such actions were also supported by Anne Marie Morris in discussions with her after Michael Gove's Written Ministerial Statement on the subject.

As Dawlish has learned in the past, landowners and developers will continue to exploit loopholes - including out-of-date plans - by taking planning applications to appeal.

An up-todate Teignbridge Local Plan will provide a crucial defence, while also allowing many welcome new policies to come forward, including new zero-carbon building targets, renewable energy provision and social rent housing. With an amendment at January Full Council to reduce annual housing numbers later should future legislation permit, councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of the new draft Local Plan, which enters a 7-week final public consultation period, ending in March. I would welcome members and this Council once again taking part.in this final Local Plan consultation - and I would be very happy to answer questions on the subject at the full council meeting.