PARISH councillors in Stogumber have scored a first for West Somerset by submitting a draft Neighbourhood Development Plan to the district authority.

The parish was the first to apply to West Somerset Council to create its own plan which would give local people power to shape the future growth and development in the place where they live.

The area for the proposed plan is the part of Stogumber parish lying outside Exmoor National Park’s boundary.

Over 18 months, the group has developed and refined its plan, talking to residents compiling factual evidence.

The plan sets out a vision for the future of the parish and policies which will be used to determine planning applications in the Neighbourhood Plan area. 

Regulations require these proposals to be consulted on before the plan can progress to Independent Examination.

The consultation has opened and runs until Friday, January 13.