THE Devon group of Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) held its first planning workshop in Hatherleigh on Tuesday, October 15, and were delighted with the positive response it received.

Town and parish councils were invited to Hatherleigh Community Centre and an impressive turn out of 80 representatives from Devon’s authorities attended, including Halwill, Sheepwash and Pyworthy in the Post area.

CPRE believe a growing number of communities across Devon are facing ‘unwanted and unsuitable’ development proposals, as a result of the ‘arbitrary house building targets imposed on local authorities by the government’.

However, town and parish councils have an important role to play as statutory consultees. Led by experienced independent planning consultant Jo Widdecombe, the morning workshop aimed to empower local councillors and clerks to fully engage with the planning process and to gain confidence in commenting on applications.

Attendees tackled practical case studies as well as receiving up-to-date information about planning regulations, their powers as consultees and the importance of creating comprehensive neighbourhood plans.

CPRE Devon chair Rebecca Bartleet said that bringing together interested parties in the planning process gave them a united voice. She told the meeting: “Events like this enable us to share resources, knowledge and information. This strengthens the power of our voice and allows us to make our concerns heard. Let’s start putting pressure on the powers-that-be to tie up loose ends and come down hard on developers who don’t deliver on conditions or fulfil agreements that were part of their planning permission.”

CPRE member Steve Crowther added: “I hope we do more of these. It’s brilliant that CPRE Devon is getting these experts in front of us and helping people on smaller councils to have more key into what is a really tricky area for us. It’s important we understand what our powers really are.”

CPRE Devon plans to hold further practical workshops and hopes even more local councils will take up the opportunity to participate. More than 50 town and parish councils across Devon are now members, benefitting from free admission to events and access to useful recourses and publications. The charity is currently finalising a follow-up to the successful housing report it launched last year.