TEIGNBRIDGE Council has approved a plan aimed at speeding up the delivery of much-needed homes across the district, while ensuring future development takes place in suitable locations.

Councillors backed the Housing Delivery Test Action Plan at a meeting of the council’s Executive Committee on Tuesday, September 8.

The plan sets out a series of measures designed to accelerate the construction of homes that already have planning permission or have been identified for development through the Local Plan.

Measures include working with developers earlier in the planning process, removing unnecessary planning conditions, improving training for planning officers and committee members, and increasing the supply of council housing through Teignbridge and its housing association partners.

The council says around 1,500 households in Teignbridge currently need suitable housing.

It also highlights changing demographics, with people living longer and more residents living alone or in smaller households, increasing demand for new homes, including affordable housing.

Almost 6,000 homes across the district have planning permission, but many have yet to be built.

The council says house-builders are facing challenges including rising construction costs, labour shortages and higher borrowing costs, which have contributed to delays on some sites.

Councillor Gary Taylor, Executive Member for Planning and Building Control, said providing homes ‘in the right places’ remained a key priority for the council.

He said the action plan would help ‘remove barriers to delivery’ and bring approved developments forward more quickly, while ensuring future growth continued to be guided by the council’s Local Plan.

The council has also warned that failing to meet government housebuilding targets could reduce its ability to refuse housing proposals on sites outside its Local Plan.

The action plan was developed following discussions with developers and other organisations involved in housebuilding across Teignbridge.

The council will now implement the measures and regularly monitor progress to assess their impact on housing delivery.