DEVON County Council has reassured the public that they are committed to building a second school in the town as they attempt to secure a suitable plot for the project.

The county council has been in discussions with Leander Developments to buy a site adjacent to Baldwin Drive previously earmarked for a second school in the Local Plan.

In March, Leander Developments submitted two outline planning applications to West Devon Borough Council for residential development on the site. The developer originally submitted planning application for a school, but withdrew the application after the borough council failed to give notice of its decision on the application within the standard 13-week period.

Those outline plans will go in front of the West Devon planning and licensing committee next Tuesday. The developer has voiced concern that should those plans be refused and they decide to sell the land to the county council, there will be no restrictions put on the land designating it for educational use only.

Leander Developments said: 'Devon County Council confirmed earlier this year that the school was no longer a priority after six years of us making the land available to them. Consequently we produced the current proposals for residential development.

'Devon County Council are now saying they need the site but are refusing to accept the restriction for educational use only. If they now need the site for a school why are they not happy to restrict it to this use? 

'We don't want to be forced into selling them a site for a school only for it to become a high density housing scheme a few years down the line — something which we are aware they have done elsewhere. We don't want this happening in Okehampton.'

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: 'There will be a need for a new primary school in Okehampton in the medium term. 

'Funds have been identified to buy this site, which is earmarked in the local plan for a school, at residential value and we are committed to building a new school there. 

'However, it would not be in the interests of our council taxpayers to purchase a site at residential value and then be subject to restrictions on the use of the land.'

The county council has allocated £1.17 million to purchase a site for a second primary school as part of a £21 million school investment project across the county.

The applications for the site can be found on West Devon Borough Council's planning website, or in its offices on St James' Street.