InformationFAQs: New Local Plan

What is a local plan? 

Local Plans are used as guidelines when making decisions on planning applications. as a framework that outlines how and where development will take place in an area.?It uses policies and maps to identify development opportunities and restrictions, while protecting areas designated for uses like open spaces and recreation.?Local Plans aren’t just about where new homes should go, but also the communities we live in, how we can look after the environment around us, how we get around, and making sure we have the access to the facilities and services we need.  

Local Plans are shaped with the help of numerous public consultations, which give local people, businesses and organisations the chance to share their views. EDDC has already held a number of public consultations on the New Local Plan, including one between May – June 2024.  EDDS’s Planning Policy team take every comment into account when drafted the plan, where it is legally and statutorily possible to do so.  

Why must a council have one? 

The Government requires EDDC to have an up-to-date Local Plan, to ensure there are enough homes and jobs to meet people’s needs, as the population continues to grow and change. 

We need extra new homes in East Devon and the number of households in the district is increasing because: 

- We have existing residents that are living in overcrowded and poor quality and often expensive housing; 

- We have young families, in particular, that need a place of their own to move into; 

- We have people, such as the elderly, that have specialist housing needs. And 

- People from other parts of the UK, but especially from surrounding local authority areas, choose to move into East Devon. 

We are a high growth area, it reflects our success, and In Cranbrook and the West End where we see many younger people moving into much needed new homes.  

National planning policy and guidance sets out an approach which provides the starting point for assessing how many homes and jobs EDDC must plan for. This takes account of changes in population, like population growth and the need for more better paid, higher quality job, as well as the affordability of housing in the area.   

Why do we need a new Local Plan when the current one runs until 2031? 

Local plans should plan for a period of at least 15 years from the point of adoption, but they should be reviewed at least every five years and kept up to date.?The current Local Plan was adopted in 2016 and was reviewed in late 2020 when it was concluded that a full plan update was needed.  This was because some of the sites planned for in the adopted Local Plan have not been delivered while Government policy has changed and is not reflected in the adopted plan. Under the legislation we have therefore had to produce a new plan that extends the strategy forward to 2042.  

Why is there such urgency in progressing the Local Plan now? 

The Government have recently published their new policies on planning which includes increasing housing numbers across much of the country to deliver 1.5million new homes, in this parliament. In East Devon this means an increase of more than 200 homes per year, that had not been planned for and would be very difficult to accommodate, given the environmental and infrastructure constraints of the district. There is an opportunity to progress the plan under the previous lower housing numbers, but it requires EDDC to publish a final draft of the plan by the March 12, 2025. It is vital that we meet the timescales to avoid having to meet the increase in the number of houses that we are required to provide. It is also essential to get a new plan in place now as it will set the development framework going forward that Government devolution, for example through opportunities to secure funding and investment, will provide. 

What are the dangers of the council not having an up-to-date Local Plan? 

In the absence of an up-to-date local plan, EDDC does not have an adequate supply of housing land to satisfy the legal requirements outlined by Government and so decisions on planning applications are having to be made with substantial weight being given to addressing this issue at the expense of other matters.  

At planning appeals, and in the absence of adequate land for new homes and development, inspectors will increasingly not consider the local plan and the balanced approach to homes, the environment and communities that it contains. Rather they will place far greater weight on the national agenda/the Government agenda for growth, building and development. 

Planning permissions must be granted for housing developments unless there are very strong reasons for not doing so. As a result, EDDC cannot guarantee the best planning outcomes for its communities. It is therefore important that we progress the Local Plan, bolster the district’s housing land supply and regain control, enabling EDDC to deliver the best possible developments for its communities.  

In the longer term if EDDC do not progress the local plan then the Government may intervene and essentially write it for the district itself.  

How have you engaged the residents of East Devon in this plan? 

EDDC has held three main consultations on the new local plan as the work has progressed, receiving thousands of public comments. EDDC has listened to what you have said and the issues you have raised have been debated by your elected councillors through a series of meetings of the Strategic Planning Committee (details on eastdevon.gov.uk[ Browse meetings - Strategic Planning Committee - East Devon]. Parish and town councils were involved in these discussions and members of the public were also able to address the committee. Where it was legally possibly to do so, and where appropriate, EDDC has adjusted its policies to address the concerns raised. EDDC is now at the ‘Regulation 19’ – or publication stage. The Regulation 19 stage is not a repeat of earlier consultations that have helped to shape the Local Plan but a final opportunity for you to say what you think, allowing the Government-appointed inspector to consider any additional comments before deciding on whether to approve the plan.  

The previous/current part(s) of the consultation process involved/involves: 

  • Issues and Options consultation – January to March 2021 – the stage at which we raised broad issues about the local plan and priorities
  • First consultation on draft plan (Reg. 18) – November 2022 to January 2023 – the suggested basic overarching plan content, for people to comment on
  • Second Reg. 18 consultation – May to June 2024 – specific consultation on some detailed policy matters
  • Public consultation on final draft (Reg. 19) – January to March 2025 – the point at which the council believes it has a sound plan and seeks comment for the consideration of the planning inspector
  • Second Reg 19. consultation / New Town consultation – November 2025 to January 2026 – to consider the changes made to the plan following the first Reg. 19 consultation and matters relating to the new community (Marlcombe) proposals

Next stages:

  • Collate feedback and submit to Planning Inspector 
  • Inspector’s Public Hearings
  • Adoption 

How can you say that you have listened to the community when the plan includes site allocations that the local community strongly oppose? 

Decisions on site allocations have to be made on the planning merits of the development and so the level of objection to a site will not in itself affect whether it is allocated. It is whether the site would cause harm in planning terms that is key.  

In many cases communities have raised concerns about the impacts of development on the capacity of schools, doctors and other infrastructure, however these are common issues experienced by most communities not just in East Devon but across the country. The answer to this is for EDDC to work with infrastructure providers to deliver the infrastructure that is needed and where possible secure funding to support this. These issues do not necessarily mean that a site should not be allocated for development, rather it places an onus from all relevant bodies to find ways that they can deliver the services that they are obliged to and wish to provide. Many new homes will be occupied by people that are local to an area and as such they will already use services so not place pressure on need for additional provision. 

EDDC has also had to make some very difficult decisions to allocate sites that are far from ideal but are legally required to do to meet Government housing targets. Although EDDC has challenged the Government’s unrealistic housing targets at every opportunity but there is no real scope to change them. Not having an up-to-date Local Plan will deliver far worse outcomes than the plan EDDC is promoting.  

How does the plan seek to protect the local environment and ensure that East Devon remains a great place to live? 

The Local Plan is not just about planning for new homes and jobs. There are a range of policies in the plan that seek to address climate change and the impacts of climate change by improving the standards of new homes and other buildings in the district and ensuring that we retain our flood plains and manage development in areas subject to coastal change. For example, there is a programme in place that will continue to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the Exe estuary, and the Pebblebed Heaths form negative impacts from developments, that would otherwise have. It also seeks to protect the identity of adjoining communities by retaining green wedges to prevent settlement coalescence. The plan also plays an important role in protecting the countryside including our two national landscapes and protecting natural habitats and biodiversity including the Exe Estuary, East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, Beer Quarry Caves and the River Axe which are specially designated habitats.  

How do we plan for infrastructure if more houses are planned for? 

We know the importance of delivering infrastructure alongside new developments. Alongside the preparation of the Local Plan, the council gathered evidence from a range of organisations and infrastructure providers to understand what is needed to support additional growth while maintaining and enhancing the natural environment, supporting vibrant communities to thrive. This evidence is set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) in support of the Local Plan. Although we are not responsible for delivering much of the needed infrastructure (for developments like GP surgeries, schools etc), we do work closely with providers to try and help ensure needs are meet, when it is required, like by helping to fund the infrastructure with money contributed by developers.  

If approved, the plan will form part of the statutory development plan for the area that should be followed when making decisions on future planning applications in East Devon. 

When this content has been updated

Last updated 29 May 2026