Teignbridge residents have until late August to comment on the draft development master plan for the south west. The South West Regional Assembly has released its Draft Regional Spatial Strategy, the document which, once ratified, will determine how many new houses, employment sites, roads and other facilities will be built in the next 20 years. Ultimately, the strategy will help planners determine planning applications submitted under the new local development framework (LDF) system, including those expected for the new 'urban village' at Kingsteignton. The overall number of new homes the south west will have to accommodate each year for the next two decades is marginally lower than expected. Earlier indications from the assembly suggested that 25,000 homes would need to be built each year across the peninsula, but that figure has now been revised down to 23,000. It is still above the 22,000 figure argued for by Exeter and Torbay. The draft strategy recommends that Teignbridge will have to accommodate an average of 480 new homes each year, a total of 9,600 and broadly in line with expectations. In response to the draft strategy's publication, a spokesman for Teignbridge Council said: ' We welcome the exciting opportunity for the council and local communities to engage with the consultation on the submitted strategy and will be giving it full and careful consideration before responding. 'It is vital that the strategy's proposals provide the context for managing the change and development necessary to support long term planning for the future and to ensure that Teignbridge is an even better place for its residents, workers and visitors.' Following comments, a revised draft will be published late next year and the final document adopted in spring 2008. More information is available at http://www.southwest-ra.gov.uk">www.southwest-ra.gov.uk or by calling 01823 270101.
