A NEIGHBOURHOOD plan to shape a sustainable future for Watchet was launched at a public meeting on Tuesday (June 16).

It was standing room only as more than 60 residents packed the first public consultation for the town’s emerging neighbourhood plan, which will help Watchet residents take control of the town’s future.

In the past two years, businesses on the main shopping street have closed following the prolonged closure of the B3191, which has cut the town off from the coastal route to Minehead.

The closure of the largest employer, a paper mill, and repeated attempts by developers to build housing on prime farmland have further strengthened the community’s resolve to protect its future.

The community-led neighbourhood plan will address concerns over inappropriate development, protect the town’s unique coastal character and heritage, and support regeneration as a vibrant year-round tourist destination.

Once approved by referendum and formally adopted by Somerset Council, the neighbourhood plan will form part of the statutory development plan for the area.

This will give its policies substantial legal weight in planning decisions, appeals, and examinations, far more so than guidance alone.

The neighbourhood plan team is an advisory committee of Watchet Town Council and is currently consulting residents with a survey which can be found on the council’s website under the ‘community’ tab.

Paper copies of the survey can be obtained from Watchet Visitor Centre.

Neighbourhood planning team chairman Bernice Scott Field said: “It is a privilege to lead this committee.

“I was really heartened to see so many residents come along to share their thoughts about what they love about our town of Watchet.”

The neighbourhood planning advisory committee comprises 25 Watchet residents co-ordinated by Watchet Coastal Community Team and led by the town council.

The team can be contacted by emailing to [email protected].