After 5 years hard work by many people, the Salcombe Neighbourhood Plan was approved at referendum on 25th July with over 93% of voters saying Yes, on a turnout of just over 33%.
This now means that the policies contained within the Plan carry full weight and must be considered by planning officers at the local planning authority (SHDC) when looking at all planning applications, from the smallest to the largest residential or commercial schemes. The Plan will also be important evidence at any appeals carried out by an independent examiner.
The last 18 months or so of this process has been the most taxing and we have been very fortunate to have an excellent consultant, Peter Sandover, without whom the process would not have been completed.
The Plan introduces policies addressing issues that local people have consistently raised including:
- the protection of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and other environmental considerations, including the protection of selected local green spaces and locally important views.
- a ‘local separation zone’ between Batson and Salcombe
- the design quality of the ‘built environment’ and the safeguarding of local heritage assets
- the lack of affordable housing, and supporting measures such as a Community Land Trust which could oversee the building of exclusively affordable housing for local people
- retention of existing employment land and encouraging development which will create employment opportunities for local people
- a ‘principal residence’ policy which stipulates that any incremental, newly built homes must be the occupier’s principal residence, not a second home.
Salcombe Town Council will now take ownership of the Plan and will monitor compliance with the Neighbourhood Plan and will also consider if and when any of the policies require amendment or even cancellation over the term of the Plan 2018-34.