Discussions surrounding the Local Plan are on hold until the Government clarifies its position on housing targets. 

The Government is currently consulting on changes to planning and this could give local councils - including East Devon District Council (EDDC) - more flexibility on the amount of houses which need to be built locally. 

EDDC recently undertook a large public consultation on the Local Plan, a document which could set out housing and community developments in East Devon over the next decade. 

The consultation ran from November 2022 until January 15. 

The plans included a new town and large housing development between Honiton and Gittisham. The latter plan proved particularly controversial and was opposed by Gittisham Parish Council and as well as Honiton-based community groups, who held a meeting to discuss their concerns. 

Local residents raised concerns about the impacts the new developments on the environment and increased pressure on infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals. 

If the Government give councils more control over the number of new homes being built, EDDC would be able to address local concerns that have been raised and build fewer new houses. 

Councillor Paul Arnott is the EDDC leader. He put forward a motion in a recent Strategic Planning Committee meeting that no further discussions or decisions on the potential development sites take place until the Government makes its decision - and this motion was held. 

Until the situation is clarified, only technical work needed to support production of the Local Plan, such as water, sewerage and other environmental matters will take place. 

Councillor Paul Arnott, leader of the council, said: "Last year, our council wrote to the Government calling for an urgent re-analysis of inflated housing need numbers imposed on the communities of East Devon.

"Pending any reply, we continued with the Local Plan consultation as required by law.

"This week - at the first opportunity to do so - I proposed that we put the sites aspect of the work on hold until what we hope will be confirmation that our housing numbers will be greatly reduced.

"I was very pleased that this won cross-party support. The ball is now in the Government's court to deliver a new National Planning Policy Framework."

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