Cullompton Town Council has submitted its Neighbourhood Plan to Mid Devon District Council.

The Neighbourhood Plan represents the community’s vision and priorities for how they would like to see the Cullompton area develop and change in the coming years, and in doing so, it sets out policies which will be taken into account as and when any proposals for development come forward in Cullompton’s parish area.

The Neighbourhood Plan, once made, will be a statutory development plan, sitting alongside Mid Devon District Council’s Local Plan.

The Neighbourhood Plan is genuinely, a community-led and community owned planning document. It has been developed through an extensive process of community dialogue and consultation instigated by Cullompton Town Council and the Neighbourhood Plan steering group. It sets out policies that are Cullompton-specific additions to the national and district policies which guide planners and developers, and covers issues including transport, housing, environment, heritage and the local economy. Every policy is intended to add value to existing planning policies and provide locally relevant context. The plan also provides a firm foundation for continued community involvement with major planning projects such as the Culm Garden Village, and the provision of high-class sports and recreation facilities, which will become particularly significant as Cullompton develops over the next decade.

The District Council is pleased to see that the hard work undertaken by the Town Council, the Neighbourhood Plan steering group and the local community has come to fruition with the submission of the Cullompton Neighbourhood Plan and congratulates all those who have contributed to reaching this key milestone.

Cllr Graeme Barnell (Cabinet responsibility for Planning and Regeneration) commented:

“The submission of the Cullompton Neighbourhood Plan is excellent news for Mid Devon and will be the first of four Neighbourhood Plans currently being prepared across the district that will be examined, and if passed, be subject to a referendum. The Council is keen to support communities in producing their Neighbourhood Plans, thereby helping local people have a greater say in the future planning of their areas”.

The Cullompton Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents have been reviewed by the District Council and are considered to meet the relevant legal and procedural requirements to proceed to the next stages, which will include a publicity period, followed by an examination of the plan.

As required by the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations, Mid Devon District Council will publicise the submission Cullompton Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents for a consultation period of 6 weeks. The Submission Publicity Period will run from 9am on Monday 7 October 2019 until 5pm on Friday 15 November 2019, during which comments on the Plan can be submitted to the District Council. Further information on the Submission Publicity Period, links to the submitted documents and how to comment on the Neighbourhood Plan is available on the District Council’s Cullompton Neighbourhood Plan webpage.

In the coming weeks, the District Council in co-operation with Cullompton Town Council, will appoint an independent and suitably qualified examiner to carry out the examination of the neighbourhood plan. Following the publicity period, the Neighbourhood Plan will be submitted to the appointed examiner, along with supporting documents and comments made during the publicity period.  Following a successful examination, the Neighbourhood Plan will be subject to a local referendum.