Making a new plan for northern Devon
Welcome to the North Devon and Torridge joint local plan e-bulletin. The purpose of this bulletin is to keep you up to date with developments and opportunities to get involved as we prepare a new local plan for northern Devon.
A local plan is an important document which local authorities have to produce to set out the long-term strategy and vision for their area.
It sets out how we want our towns and villages to grow, where new homes, shops and workplaces might be built, and how we’ll protect our exceptional landscapes while tackling important issues like transport, flooding and climate change. Local plans are used alongside national policy and other local strategies to determine which developments will and won’t be allowed.
The northern Devon joint local plan covers the North Devon and Torridge local planning authority areas. Our current plan covers 2011-2031, and as we come to the end of its life, we are now preparing our next version, under the joint People and Place project. Our new plan will be called A Plan for Northern Devon.
Thank you for your interest, we look forward to working with you to shape the future of the place we call home.
New guidance and legislation for plan making
The Government has recently introduced new regulations for how we must create our new local plan, and their accompanying guidance designates shorter window in which to do so.
We are now in the ‘getting ready’ stage, gearing up for a key readiness check, the so-called Gateway 1, which we will pass through on 31 October 26. After this, we have just 30 months to gather evidence, draft, consult, finalise, examine and adopt our local plan.
The Government is gradually releasing topic-specific guidance to support these regulations. We are making every effort to stay ahead of developments and ensure our preparations are robust by proactively engaging with the Planning Advisory Service and other councils.
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About our upcoming consultation
Our first formal consultation, the so-called Scoping Consultation, will run from 30 June until 11 August 2026.
For this consultation, the Government requires we consult on:
“what the plan should contain along with how the body consider that the authority should engage with them in the preparation of the local plan.”
Whilst these requirements are minimal, we plan to make the most of this opportunity and seek meaningful insight to shape the plan early. We will be asking big picture questions about the priorities and issues which are important in our area.
There are a range of statutory consultees who will be invited, but we will also publicise the consultation to wider stakeholders and the public, so we can hear from a wide range of people and ensure our new plan reflects our communities.
We encourage anyone with an interest in the future of northern Devon to take part when the consultation opens on 30 June.
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Can you answer our call for sites?
As part of preparing the new local plan, we need to plan for the housing and employment that the area is going to need in the future, with the Government setting out the minimum amount of housing that we need to plan for.
We identify potential land for the future through a so-called Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA). This assesses land to see whether it is suitable, available and viable for either housing or economic use.
Whilst we are making good progress on identifying land, we anticipate we still need more sites to come forward to supply the required land. This is a huge opportunity for us to manage the land in our area more strategically and bring forward development which is the most beneficial to northern Devon.
We want to hear about any and all land in northern Devon that landowners or others consider might contribute towards the future of our area. Small or large, around towns or villages, any sites could be valuable to support communities which thrive in the years to come.
If you know about any possible opportunities, we’d love to hear from you. You can find out more and submit details of sites via www.torridge.gov.uk/callforsites.
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Updates from April's Joint Planning Policy Committee
Our joint Planning Policy Committee (JPPC), made up of councillors from both councils, reviews the progress and makes key decisions throughout the process of developing the local plan.
Our most recent meeting of our JPPC took place on 24 April to progress the People and Place project. You can find the meeting minutes on our website. Items included:
- Preparation of our local plan Timetable and Notice of Intention to Commence plan-making
- Considering how the Northern Devon Place Story could support our new local plan vision
- Presenting our draft Consultation and Engagement Strategy
How we are using evidence to build our new plan
Baseline evidence
Our Baseline Evidence Report summarises the current position of North Devon and Torridge. This was also presented at the most recent JPPC meeting.
When planning for the future of the area, it is important that we analyse the key data on our population, economy, housing, transport and environment and review our progress in delivering the infrastructure required by the current local plan.
Technical assessments
To deliver a compliant plan, it is crucial for us to understand the projections for the future of northern Devon and design our plan to anticipate and support these needs effectively.
There are a number of complex technical assessments which we will be procuring over the course of the project. The first commissioned pieces will be:
- Housing and Economic Needs Assessment (HENA)
- Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA)
- Level 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA)
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19 June 2026 - Next meeting of the JPPC
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30 June 2026 - Formal Notice of Intention to Commence local plan-making published
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30 June - 11 August 2026 - Scoping Consultation
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