RESIDENTS of Okehampton town and hamlets are being asked to fill in their neighbourhood plan questionnaires as soon as possible to help shape the future plan.

Neighbourhood plans allow local people to influence where and what type of development should happen in their community, promote additional development to that set out in West Devon’s Local Plan and include policies to add locally relevant detail to higher level policies in the Local Plan.

The first stage of the process will be the questionnaire gathering information that will help shape the plan. Questionnaires have now been sent out to every household in the town and hamlets and business questionnaires have been sent to every business in the area. The plan team is asking people to fill them in as soon as possible.

James Cox, chair of the neighbourhood plan working group, said: ‘Okehampton Town and Hamlets Neighbourhood Plan team would like to express their thanks to those of you that have completed the questionnaire to date.

‘The plan is that if we have less than a 30% return by April 20, we will go door to door. There is still time left if you haven’t and we really want your views. Last collections will be on April 30, so don’t delay and make a difference.’

The neighbourhood plan for Okehampton is being taken forward by Okehampton town and hamlets councils; it can establish general planning policies for the development and use of land in a neighbourhood such as where new homes and work spaces should be built, and what they should look like.

Neighbourhood plans can be detailed or general, depending on the desires of local people.

However, such plans can not be used to conflict with local planning strategy. In Okehampton’s case, that means not conflicting with policies in the Local Plan developed by West Devon Borough Council. It cannot be used to block development set out in the Local Plan.

There will be future events where residents can add ideas and visions to the plan.

Visit the website www.okehamplan.btck.co.uk for more information and to get an additional questionnaire for another member of the family.