Residents invited to help shape District Council's developments

EAST Devon District Council is inviting residents to help shape its housing and employment developments over the next 16 years.

EAST Devon District Council is inviting residents to help shape its housing and employment developments over the next 16 years.

All parish councils, and Colyton town council, have been asked to send representatives to events in local village halls to discuss their needs.

This input will help EDDC finalise the district blueprint - with the aim of meeting housing, employment and other objectives set by the government.

A spokesman for the council said: "EDDC wants to ensure that in setting out to meet these nationally driven challenges, it is also sympathetic to the vision that local people of all ages may have for the growth and development of their communities.

"So, residents young and old, working or retired, should speak up now."

EDDC said it wants to ensure parish and town councils understand what needs to be done and the key role they can play in coming up with the best answers to the challenges.

The aim is to produce a set of documents that make up East Devon's Local Development Framework (LDF) to replace the current Local Plan.

Challenges include: how many dwellings are to be built and where they are to be located; new employment uses; what essential physical, social and community infrastructure is required and in what locations; how open space is to be provided and how to ensure the environment is protected and enhanced.

Each council has been asked to include an item on their April meeting agenda entitled 'Informing the LDF' so that issues raised in workshops can be debated. They have been asked to send EDDC a response by the end of April.

The other six town councils will be consulted at future events yet to be organised.