It was once named as the best place in England to raise a family. Winkleigh, located in Torridge and between Dartmoor and Exmoor, topped the list that was compiled back in 2011, which looked at schools, crime, amenities, affordable homes, local birth rates, as well as the amount of green space an area had.

The historic farming village topped a list of 2,400 postcodes in England and Wales. And villagers living in the town then came together to create a plan to ensure the parish remains an inclusive, economically sustainable community, contributes to an improved quality of life, and has its valuable heritage and environment protected.

The plan was voted in by locals in 2021 - but three years later - questions as to how effective it has been have been raised. In a letter to our sister print title the North Devon Journal, one person says it has been a waste of time because planners have failed to champion the vision. And they add that developers have failed to do their homework about a neighbourhood plan.

Read the full letter below

Fool’s errand making plan

The Winkleigh Neighbourhood Plan has been a waste of precious time because Torridge’s planning department has failed to champion Winkleigh’s vision of a sustainable community as set out in its neighbourhood plan that the community voted for in its referendum.

When accessing the Torridge planning portal for a planning application in the parish of Winkleigh, it states that the neighbourhood plan is ‘confirmed’ but then states it is ‘unavailable’.

Several times I have spoken to the chief planning officer about this startling omission; but he tells me it is not possible to change this on the council’s computer system.

I have been told that it is up to us (the village community) to inform the landowner and developer about our neighbourhood plan. But we are not in the room with them when discussions are started. We do not know what is planned until the plans land fully formed on our computer screens.

There have been no pre-planning discussions, no engagement with the village, indeed no recognition at all of the vast amount of work and research the community has put into creating and then voting for our neighbourhood plan.

There then follows stormy meetings with the developers and landowner where the computer-generated design is pilloried for its greed, lack of vision, imagination, local distinctiveness and ecological awareness.

This is not a NIMBY objection. This land was approved for 55 houses; the shock is the upping this to 71 by getting rid of a woodland area.

Our district councillor Simon Newton MBE called in the latest major application in Winkleigh for 71 homes and upbraided the developers for failing to do their homework about our neighbourhood plan.

Members of Winkleigh Planning Group also objected.

Surely, Torridge planners, I believe you could do so much more to raise planning standards, promote local distinctiveness, ensure bio-diversity gain and sustainability by insisting that neighbourhood plans (which you have championed and financed) are consulted and referenced.

Penny Griffiths

Winkleigh