RESIDENTS of Chagford and the surrounding area are being urged to have their say in developing potential community benefits within the Chagford Masterplan. Dartmoor National Park Authority has approved the masterplan for a mixed use development with around 100 new houses on a parcel of land at Bellacouch Meadow and Bretteville Field. If granted full planning permission later this year, the development will also have a public car park, substantial public open space, and employment space. The area was first identified as having potential for development in the 2009 Chagford Design Statement, prepared by the Chagford community. Following considerable interest and support through a series of public meetings, Chagford Community Trust (CCT) has been established to further the social, economic and environmental interests of the Chagford community amidst the proposed changes to the town following the new development. The trust is already engaging with Chagford Parish Council, West Devon Borough Council, Community Council for Devon, Dartmoor National Park and other organisations on how this can best be achieved. CCT, which is a Community Land Trust, is hoping to maximise the community benefit arising from the development by securing community ownership for various assets such as the proposed new car park, business units, open spaces, and public toilets. These assets could then generate revenue, which would be put back into community resources and projects, such as the town's youth centre. As part of this, CCT has secured grant funding to engage external consultants to carry out needs assessments and business case analysis around the potential ownership of such community assets. The group is keen to involve the local community by inviting them to share their views, and to become members of the CCT. These views can be on any of the potential community benefits, but views regarding the proposed space for business units would be particularly welcome. Dr Roger Stokes, chairman of Chagford Community Trust, said: 'We are trying to assess the needs of the community regarding elements of the proposal. By owning some or all of these assets, CCT can influence the way that they are operated to ensure community benefit. 'The role of the external consultants is to better assess local needs for the assets and to do this properly we need input from the community and from potential users of the spaces. 'We want to be a self-sustaining living and working town, not a dormitory town. More and more, a community has to look after itself —everywhere you look, the government is cutting services. 'For example, our library, which is only open six hours as it is, may well be cut. 'However, that might be one of the things we could put money into at some point in the future, if that was what the community wanted. 'This work is being carried out for the community of Chagford and surrounding parishes, and we want them to help shape the outcomes.' To find out more, visit http://www.chagfordcommunitytrust.org.uk">www.chagfordcommunitytrust.org.uk You can become a member by going to the website, or by picking up a form in Sally's Newsagents in Chagford.