SETTLEMENT growth in Teignmouth will be restricted because of environmental issues.
Teignmouth is flanked by a large area of great landscape value from the Haldon Hills and also the coastal preservation areas. It means that Teignbridge Council is restricted in its identification of sites in the town for future growth. In broad policies put before the public at Bitton House on Tuesday, Teignmouth is earmarked for an additional 200 homes out of the 7,500 planned for Teignbridge as a whole. But that will not be enough to accommodate its needs, said policy officer Ann Cooper. 'That number will not meet Teignmouth's needs but Newton Abbot is capable of supporting a greater population and it seems that some people would be willing to move to Newton Abbot. 'We are not looking at shifting people in big numbers but Newton Abbot will make good the shortfall at Teignmouth and other places,' she said. Newton Abbot will become a sub-regional centre in the Core strategy plans with an additional 1,730 homes, jobs and associated infrastructure. Plans for the area centres of Teignmouth and Dawlish are yet to be drawn up in such detail. Plans will not identify specific sites for development for another year. But the plans do point to housing in main urban and brownfield areas as a preferred option, with more in peripheral green field sites as necessary. It is also likely that either Dawlish or Teignmouth will accommodate a food retail store. Shaldon and Bishopsteignton are classified as rural settlements, which will mean further development is limited. 'At Shaldon, there is not only a physical severance by the river but also the character is different. It is very much a village and not part of the town. 'As a rural settlement, it will be protected from some development and maybe we can look at affordable homes only in these areas, but there are many differing views on that that need to be taken into account,' said Mrs Cooper. Open breaks to prevent the joining up of settlements have been identified between Teignmouth and Dawlish, but not between Teignmouth and Bishopsteignton. 'We do need to look at whether there should be one between Teignmouth and Bishopsteignton. If there should, then we have to draw the boundaries,' said Mrs Cooper. The consultation runs until May 22 at 9am. Documents can be viewed on the council's website, council offices or at leaflets available at libraries.