Landowners, developers and town and parish councils will have the chance to put forward sites to be considered for 37 new traveller pitches planned for East Devon.

The ‘call for sites’ is the next step towards completing East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Gypsy and Traveller Plan.

However, this comes as the authority has proposed in its draft Local Plan – a blueprint for development until 2026 - that the bulk of the pitches be located around the new town of Cranbrook.

EDDC has been told by Whitehall to earmark sites and the authority has to find 22 pitches and up to five ‘emergency’ stopping places within five years.

The final total of 37 sites is expected to be developed within 20 years.

The authority has already earmarked £500,000 for the scheme, and hopes to have the plan finished by early 2017.