Neighbourhood planning is about making sure a community gets the development it needs for the future - through the building of homes, job oportunities, community and leisure facilities such as schools, health services and shops.

Why Get Involved in This?

Who Is Drawing It Up?

A group called the Neighbourhood Forum is made up of residents and town councillors from Great Torrington and has been working on the Plan. They are required by law to consult widely with residents and special interest groups. Several consultations have already been conducted in the town; more events will be held to find out your opinion before the Plan is finalised.

What Happens Once The Plan Is Finalised?

The Plan goes through a further process of examination at Torridge District Council and by an independent examiner. After final adjustments have been made the Plan will be submitted for approval via a referendum to be held in the town in 2017.

What Does The Plan hope To Achieve?

To improve the economic and social well-being of Great Torrington, with a strong focus on its important and unique market town role, community spirit and tourism, whilst fully respecting and sensitively managing its historic character and ecologically important setting.

The Plan focuses its objectives on five groups of key issues:

ENVIRONMENT – To ensure the distinctive rural landscape, settlement patterns, historical assets, natural environment and biodiversity of the town are protected and enhanced. To provide improved green open spaces and mitigate the impact of development on climate change through the design of new buildings.

HOUSING – To support high quality affordable housing with a mix of size, type and tenure to meet local and future needs, including family homes, affordable housing and assisted living.

INFRASTRUCTURE – To address the traffic passing through the town, including the additional flow of traffic that will be generated by new housing, manage the parking problems in the town centre and improve the safety needs of other road users including cyclists and pedestrians.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES – To improve recreational facilities for teenagers and younger children whilst ensuring that community assets such as meeting places and health care facilities are of a high quality and easily accessible to the local community.

EMPLOYMENT – To positively encourage employment opportunities that exist in the area, including making links with major employers whilst providing opportunities for smaller businesses to develop and thrive in the area, and to offer good employment and training opportunities for local people.

How Will This Be Achieved?