A HOUSING developer will unveil its designs for 400 houses and a long-awaited link road on the eastern edge of Okehampton at a public exhibition on Monday afternoon.

Barratt Homes is inviting comments on the detailed plans for the housing, which has been included in the blueprint for development in West Devon borough over the coming years. The event will take place in the Haytor Room in the Ockment Centre on North Street on March 9 from 3-7pm.

In a letter to residents, planning manager Andy Cattermole said: ‘Barratt Homes are looking to submit a reserved matters application for up to 400 homes on the site.

‘Our application will also see us deliver the Okehampton link road. We are hoping to deliver this as early as is possible within the building of the development.

‘We appreciate how sensitive this site is for the local community and that there is a lot of proposed development in the area, some that has already commenced. We are very keen to work with the local community to ensure that the proposals we bring forward are both in keeping with the existing local housing and sensitive to the area.

‘We would therefore like to invite you to attend a public exhibition where you will be able to view our plans and meet the team, as well as provide us with any comments you may have at an early stage, as we work on our plans.’

West Devon mayor Tony Leech, who is both borough and town councillor for this area of Okehampton, confirmed that the plans already has planning permission in principle as part of the Joint Local Plan. He and other councillors have previously criticised the style of much of the new housing on the east of Okehampton.

‘We will hopefully have some control of the style and density this time around,’ he said. ‘It will be interesting to see the layout.’