Should affordable housing only be sold to people with links to the Sid Valley? How could the town be made more attractive to tourists? And what infrastructure is needed to support all this?
Residents have the chance to influence all these issues and more by filling out their second Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire.
The finished document will not be able to override the 150-home allocation in East Devon District Council’s Local Plan, but could include a policy restricting the sale of affordable homes to people with links to the Sid Valley. Another could prevent second homes remaining empty for most of the year. There are an estimated 341 in the valley but any such rule could only apply to new builds.
East Devon’s Local Plan mentions cutting traffic in the town centre and the potential for further pedestrianisation, plus the creation of a new access to the Alexandria Road Industrial Estate and a new park and ride facility.
Steering group member Claire Russell said: “How we travel through our community impacts on our health and wellbeing, safety, community cohesion, the environment and other people. If our transport routes can be improved, we can all benefit.
“We need an integrated transport system in the Sid Valley which offers safe routes for motorised vehicles, mobility scooters, bicycles, skateboards, mobility scooters and pedestrians for both locals and visitors of all ages.”
The second residents’ questionnaire – the last survey of the Neighbourhood Plan process – asks for views on a pedestrian and cycle crossing over the A3052, and the proposed shared-use pathway from Sidford to Sidbury.
On economic resilience, it asks about measures to increase the valley’s attractiveness as a visitor destination, extending the tourist season, and availability and quality of offices and retail space.
Economic resilience theme leader Peter Murphy said: “In a sense, issues related to our economic vitality are implicit in many of the questions we ask in this final survey – recognising that for people to want to visit, live, work and set up business here, we have to both keep it vibrant, and make progress to keep pace with modern expectations.”
The survey closes on June 30. Visit www.sidvalleyneighbourhoodplan.com for more information.
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