A DEVELOPMENT blueprint to shape West Devon over the next 20 years was approved by borough councillors on Monday — but almost 1,000 houses could be built in Okehampton before a link road is constructed to ease congestion in the town centre.

Although the controversial core strategy document considers it vital to the future sustainable growth of Okehampton, Devon County Council officers this week said that the town centre access road would not be delivered until the end of the planning period which runs to 2026.

Residents and councillors in Okehampton have been concerned about the lack of infrastructure to deal with the 900 homes that will be built between 2016 and 2026, concentrated on the eastern edge of the town.

But the borough council's future planning and housing committee was told the improvements to roads and services would be delivered alongside the new houses.

The provision of a 420 place primary school, affordable housing, employment land, enhancements to the town centre and Okehampton College are seen as 'critical' in the core strategy.

A new link road is being proposed between Exeter Road and Crediton Road and enhancements to the bus services and hospital, community and recreational facilities and improvements to the rail connection to Exeter are all within the plan — but lower down the list of priorities.

Minor amendments were made to the draft core strategy following a lengthy consultation with the public last year.

There were many concerns that development was being concentrated in the main towns, and not providing new homes in the villages, to keep small communities viable.

In light of these concerns and requests from parish councils, the borough council said it had developed a 'more robust approach' to development in rural areas, devising a 'toolkit' to identify the need and sustainability of housing in rural communities.

The core strategy has been five years in the making and was necessary to give the borough council control over the future development of the borough, councillors were told.

The council's head of housing and strategic planning, Marion Playle, said: 'I would not be here today selling you something that I did not believe in. In this core strategy we are providing a lower development rate than we have now, we are providing a new primary school, housing for the elderly, routes that motivate people to cycle and walk, through links to the main town.

'We believe this is the right strategy not only for the main towns but the whole of West Devon.'

The borough will be requesting funding from developers to help deliver infrastructure.

But councillors John Young and Nick Morgan saw huge problems in seeking funding from developers for a new Okehampton access road.

'It is imperative this road is put in place before 2026,' said Cllr Young.

'The borough council needs to pressure the county to open it much sooner than that.

Cllr Nick Morgan said a car park for the town should also be a high priority: 'We cannot keep on building without the infrastructure that brings people into the town to shop. We are losing people to Launceston and Crediton where it is much easier to park. We need this facility now.'

George Marshall from Devon County Council said: 'Our assessment would suggest there would not be a need for a town centre access road until the back end of the plan, but there is some flexibility in that.'

Okehampton Town Council had raised objections to the core strategy document.

Speaking on behalf of the authority after the meeting, planning consultant Stephen Gill said he was disappointed the borough had still not acknowledged the benefits of putting some housing to the west of Okehampton, which was 'clearly closer' to the town centre than what was proposed for the east.

'I am also concerned about the infrastructure delivery plan, as the link road into the town centre has been required for a number of year now. Now it looks like nearly 1,000 extra homes will be built before we see it happen.'

He said the town council would be making representations before the plan was submitted to the secretary of state for examination.