Get involved
What you can do
The Local Plan is decided by councillors and then examined by an independent Planning Inspector. Polite, factual messages that point to the evidence carry the most weight.
1Sign the petition
Add your name to the petition to remove EXMO20 from the draft Local Plan. The petition is hosted by openPetition, not by us; we don't collect any personal data on this site.
2Write to your councillors
Tell your district ward councillors what worries you about EXMO20. You can also write to the members of the Strategic Planning Committee, who make the decisions on the Local Plan.
- Find your councillor (East Devon District Council)
- Strategic Planning Committee members
3Follow the campaign
For news, public meetings and updates, follow the campaign on Facebook.
Spread the word
Print or share our one-page leaflet (there's a PDF version too), and see the questions we're asking the council. You can ask for the same documents yourself.
Tips for writing to councillors
- Stick to planning reasons. The Local Plan has to be "sound" and legally compliant. That means it must be justified by evidence, deliverable, consistent with national policy and the Habitats Regulations, and backed by a proper look at reasonable alternatives. Our eight grounds are written around these tests.
- Use the council's own words. Link to the clip of the meeting where something was said. Every quote on this site links to the moment in the recording.
- Ask a clear question. For example: "What evidence shows that harm to the Pebblebed Heaths can be avoided if EXMO20 stays in the plan?"
- Be polite and brief. Councillors get a lot of email. One page that makes one or two points well works best.
What happens next
The Local Plan. Both public consultations on the draft plan (Regulation 19) have now closed. The plan has not yet been submitted. In September 2026 officers told the committee they were "not in a position to recommend submission" because the air quality, water and transport evidence was still being finished. To go ahead under the current rules, the plan has to be submitted in 2026, and only full Council can make that decision. The next Strategic Planning Committee is on 1 December 2026 and full Council on 9 December 2026, both open to the public. You can see the agendas and register to speak. An independent Planning Inspector will then examine whether the plan is sound and legally compliant. Every comment made at the consultations goes to the Inspector, and written comments carry the same weight as anything said at the hearings. The hearings are organised by topic, and the Inspector decides who is invited to speak.
A planning application. Separately from the Local Plan, the developer, 3West, has started preparing a planning application for the site. In July 2026 the council gave its "screening opinion" (reference 26/0005/EIA) on a proposal for 700 homes, open space, community facilities and at least 2 hectares of employment land. A screening opinion decides whether a full Environmental Impact Assessment is needed. The council decided the scheme "is likely to have significant effects on the environment", so any application must come with an Environmental Statement (more). The developer's own proposals are on its project website. If an application is submitted, anyone can comment on it on the council's planning website. We'll post updates on our Facebook page when that happens.
Contact us
To get in touch with the campaign, or to tell us about a mistake on this site, email contact@stopexmo20.co.uk.