Ottery’s mayor said the past year has been “an incredibly exciting and busy” one but said he expects there to be plenty of applications for new developments in the next 12 months.

In his annual report Glyn Dobson said the biggest shake-up of planning rules for decades took place in 2011, and more large-scale proposals, such as one for the Ottermill Switchgear Factory, which he said is ‘imminent’, are on the way.

Elsewhere in the report he said it was a great honour to serve the town this past year, which he said has seen a lot of projects come together.

The past year has seen the opening of Coleridge Bridge, which Cllr Dobson said proved a huge success with the people of Ottery, the outdoor gym on the Land of Canaan, and the skatepark.

There was also the unveiling of the town’s first supermarket, and speaking about the impact of Sainsbury’s the mayor said: “Sadly we have seen some of our local shops close during this last municipal year, but I am pleased to say I was asked to open several new businesses in the town also.”

In 2011 the town council was awarded Quality Council status, and Cllr Dobson concluded by saying: “Ottery St Mary Parish has so much for us to be proud of and with all the many achievements coupled with the beautiful area we live in I reiterate once again that it has been a great honour to serve again as mayor of Ottery St Mary.”