A group of Okehampton locals have united to save woodland and endangered wildlife from development.

The woodland - Hog’s Wood - is an area of land between Northfield Road, Crediton Road, Neville Road, Wonnacott's Road and North Road which has evolved into a mixed woodland with meadow and houses a variety of species including hedgehogs and slow worms.

Over the years residents near Hog’s Wood have become increasingly worried that the land would face development and to their dismay, plans for 30-40 homes on the woodland were announced in June 2025.

West Devon Borough Council have started work on a planning application for the area to develop social rented homes and supported living accommodation for people with learning disabilities.

The land could potentially take 60 to 70 houses but the scheme has been scaled back after people said they wanted more green space retained.

Sixty per cent of the area will remain as woodland.

A meeting to discuss the future of Hog’s Wood was held on September 17 and was well attended by those who are passionate to protect the green space.

The meeting was held at the Ockment Centre in Okehampton.
The meeting was held at the Ockment Centre in Okehampton. (Josh Kopeček)

The overwhelming majority of people wanted to maintain, preserve and cherish Hog’s Wood and mitigate the proposed development.

The importance of protecting the existing trees, both mature and small, was also high on the agenda.

Josh Kopeček, member of the Hog’s Wood group, said: “Any potential development would need to maintain its importance as a wildlife corridor, and to enable access to people’s gardens for wildlife.

A view of Hogswood in Okehampton (Tindle)

“Many people also mentioned its importance for children, through being a wild play area, camps or activities for kids, the potential for a playground, and education about biodiversity and access to green spaces, as well as it being a ‘secret garden’.

“People also felt strongly about maintaining the existing access to parking, both the informal and council-owned parking spaces.”

Attendees were concerned about why this site should be developed when there is so much other development around Okehampton, especially when Hog’s Wood is so rich in biodiversity.

Members of the group supported developing a small area of the site for social housing as long as it was very sensitively done, and with clear community involvement in the entire process.
Members of the group supported developing a small area of the site for social housing as long as it was very sensitively done, and with clear community involvement in the entire process. (Josh Kopeček)

A Green Space Survey conducted by Transition Town Okehampton found that the majority of those who answered the survey wanted Hog’s Wood to become a designated nature reserve.

Some comments collected in the survey read: “Too many places are being destroyed. I’ll do anything to help this piece of land to continue to be what it is. To see nests of slow worms, to know how many bats are there, is just too beautiful to lose.”

Another comment read: “Although I would be sorry in a way to see it tamed by development, it is in town and people on low incomes need homes.”

When the housing development was announced, the report by West Devon Borough Council said: “The council is aware of strong feelings locally around retaining the site as green space and through sympathetic design and a lower density of houses on the site it will seek to create an enhanced biodiversity area and open space that encompasses local aspiration.”