East Devon District Council (EDDC) is conducting a ten-week public consultation on where a carbon-neutral 'new town' should be built. 

The new development will have up to 8,000 homes and will form a new self-contained community with its own schools, jobs, shops and other facilities for the community. 

Construction of the town will commence in the next ten years, and it will take decades to be completed. It is proposed that 2,500 of the homes will have been built by 2040. 

Where will the new town be? 

There are three options and a consultation is currently taking place. All three options offer good transport links and are close to existing employment options. 

• The favoured option is between the A30 and the A3052, to the north and east of Westpoint.
• Land to the south of the A3052 
• East of the A376 and Clyst St George village.

Why is the new town needed? 

The new town is being developed because there are limited opportunities to develop existing towns and villages in East Devon due to environmental issues. Two third of East Devon is designated as 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty', which limit development and there are also issues with flooding and protecting natural habitats. 

Councillor Dan Ledger, EDDC's portfolio holder for strategic planning, said:

"This is a really exciting opportunity to create a modern zero carbon town. It could provide homes that are affordable to buy and run with everything residents need within easy walking and cycling distance.

"A new town means that we can plan for the delivery of homes, jobs and infrastructure such as schools, health centres and community facilities alongside each other without further overloading the infrastructure of existing towns.

"This would however be a big change to the landscape and impact on nearby communities, so it is really important that people get involved and tell us what they think of these proposals. A new town like this may seem a long way off but we need everyone's input now to make sure that we are on the right track from the start."

How can I take part?

You can take part in the public consultation here.

The consultation will close on 15 January 2023.

The final plan is scheduled to be released in a years' time, and it will be shaped by the public's comments and consultations before being subject to an examination by a Government-appointed planning inspector.