Stoke Fleming has voted in support of a neighbourhood plan which will shape development in the village and surrounding rural areas for the next 15 years.

In the referendum last week, 89 per cent of the village voted in favour of the plan, which amounts to 316 people.

This referendum which only 41 people said “no” to came at the end of a four year consultation process with the community. People had the opportunity to express their wishes and views as the plan for Stoke Fleming took shape.

At the referendum on Wednesday, February 27, there was a 40 per cent turnout from Stoke Fleming.

Stoke Fleming parish council chair, Struan Coupar said: “We are pleased to have at last got to this stage in the neighbourhood planning process.

“It is the culmination of a great deal of hard work by many people.

“Our community has been instrumental in shaping the content of the plan and the referendum result suggests that by and large they were happy with what it contains.

“Turnout, a fraction short of 40 per cent is very good for a local election.

“Two other parishes - Malborough and Bickleigh - went to referendum on the same day and their turnouts were 23 per cent and 35 per cent.

“The plan will now become part of the overall Joint Local Plan covering the whole of South West Devon.

“Our job now is to ensure it gives the parish the protection and the improvements, that it is designed to deliver.”

Stoke Fleming’s neighbourhood plan covers five main areas including: houses and development; roads, paths and transport; the environment; business and employment; infrastructure.

The plan includes a number of key features:

-One site for a small-scale development of less than 10 dwellings off Rectory Lane, to include for a new safe pedestrian route to the primary school.

-Support in principle for appropriate infill and self-build development, and for the conversion of rural buildings.

-Improvements to the Bird Walk, the major pedestrian link between the northern and southern parts of the village, linking with the new path to the school.

-A new car park with approximately 34 spaces on a field off Mill Lane.

-A new footpath running alongside the A379 from Deer Park towards Swannaton and Jawbones Hill, providing a new pede3strian route to Dartmouth.

-Protection for the natural landscape, especially against inappropriate or harmful development affecting the AONB and Heritage Coast, and in particular for 12 views considered to be of special local importance.

-'Virtual' pavements along narrow parts of the main road through the village which have no pavements.

-Measures to eliminate localised regular flooding in rural areas.

The government announced the creation of neighbourhood plans in the Localism Act of 2012. They are documents that set out planning policies for the neighbourhood area, used to decide whether to approve planning applications.

These plans are written by the community rather than the Local Planning Authority and can be used to ensure the community gets the right types of development in the right place.

Stoke Fleming started work on its neighbourhood plan in 2014 and it was submitted to South Hams District Council in February 2018.

The question on the ballot papers was: “Do you want South Hams District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Stoke Fleming to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?”

The choice was a simple one, between “Yes” and “No”.

Over the 15 years to 2034 planning permissions will be required for a wide range of matters.

Examination into the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan ruled that proposed levels of development for villages lying within the AONB should be removed from the JLP.

The JLP then said it would be for Neighbourhood Plans to propose sites for development. The only development planned for Stoke Fleming therefore will be that which is set out in the Neighbourhood Plan.

To view the full plan visit the parish website at website at www.stokefleming.org/neighbourhoodplan.

Copies are available to view at the Post Office, Church, Green Dragon, Village Hall and Library.