On 2nd May voters in Brixham have the chance to vote on whether they want Torbay Council to consider the Brixham Penisula Neighbourhood Plan along with the Local Plan when they make decisions about developments in Brixham and the surrounding areas:
Neighbourhood Planning provides our community with the opportunity to manage development for the benefit of the community as a whole. Through our extensive consultation, we have seen the community of the Brixham Peninsula neighbourhood area – across the Town of Brixham and the villages of Churston Galmpton and Broadsands – express a desire for sensitive sustainable development which maintains our way of life and the characteristics of the neighbourhood that make it unique and special.
Our Neighbourhood Plan will be a guide for all developments that will regenerate and enhance, especially those areas that we wish to improve, whilst avoiding harm to what we value. We need to create jobs and affordable housing to ensure a more balanced community, reduce commuting, sustain our infrastructure and improve our health and wellbeing. We also have a clear duty to enhance our environment, protect our wildlife, preserve our open spaces and celebrate our heritage. We also need to ensure that developments are economically sustainable and that they will help our key industries prosper, especially fishing, tourism, agriculture and light industry.
Rather than the trend towards more second homes, our aim is to retain more of our young people so they stay living here rather than moving away for work. Young people need good jobs and decent homes, so employment and housing have been key priorities in the plan. Reducing the average age of the population and increasing levels of income will make the community more sustainable and vibrant and this plan recognises this
The Plan’s approval at referendum means that all applications for new building will have to acknowledge the policies created by the community.
Those community policies determine:
- Where new building can and can’t go
- How those new buildings should look
- What important Green Spaces are protected
- Boundaries to settlement sprawl – protection of countryside
The policies also have an important and direct bearing on:
- Environmental, transport and health issues in your neighbourhood
- The regeneration of Brixham Town Centre
- The survival and sustainable growth of Tourism, Fisheries, Agriculture and Local Business
- The supply of affordable housing for local residents
These are just the highlights of a comprehensive and sophisticated plan based entirely on in-depth consultation with your community.
To see the Brixham plan, please click here.
To see all plans for the whole of Torbay, please click here.