A Local Plan impacts everyone with a connection to Dartmoor. As such, it is of vital importance that everyone with a connection to Dartmoor can have a say in the creation of the document that guides development in the Park.

Dartmoor National Park Authority is required to publish an Engagement Strategy setting out how the community and key stakeholders will be involved in the preparation of the new Local Plan. The Strategy must be prepared in accordance with government guidance.

The Engagement Strategy identifies the stakeholders who will be involved throughout the plan-making process and sets out the proposed approach to engagement at each stage, including its purpose, target audience and objectives. The strategy is designed to ensure that a broad and diverse range of views are gathered from those with an interest in the National Park, including people who live, work within, or visit the area. It seeks to promote inclusive and accessible engagement, ensuring that opportunities to participate are available to all, including groups and individuals who may be harder to reach.

The Strategy has been prepared having regard to the guidance Engaging the Public When Preparing a Local Plan. Throughout the preparation of the Local Plan, Dartmoor National Park Authority must engage for the purposes of receiving feedback at the following milestones:

• Scoping consultation
• Consultation on proposed local plan content and evidence
• Consultation on the proposed local plan.

After each consultation, a consultation statement will be published outlining the responses received and how the Authority will consider the feedback.

In addition, we will notify interested parties and seek to promote information about key milestones as they are met.  An indicative timeline of these milestones can be found in the figure below and a more detailed explanation of each milestone can be found in the table below. For details of exact dates see our emerging local plan timetable.

Reaching these milestones will take a lot of preparation, and there may be long periods between each stage. To keep people informed, we will publish a newsletter every two months explaining what work we have been doing. This will provide a clear and regular way to update people, especially during quieter periods between milestones.

Furthermore, during the development of the local plan and evidence base, we will continue to focus on cross-boundary working with strategic partners and bodies through ongoing engagement when necessary.

Our engagement strategy will take a digital first approach, but not digital only. We will utilise online forms, social media, email and updates to our website to provide information regarding the progress of the new Local Plan.

Throughout the plan period we will publish a news article on our website every two months to provide short updates on how the Local Plan is progressing. This is to ensure we share information in small, manageable and easily accessible ways.

During consultations we will support non-digital communication with in-person events. These will include drop-in events and targeted workshops to provide information face to face, allow people to ask questions and invite discussion. In addition, throughout the plan period we will share our newsletter updates to groups and organisations we are already meeting to ensure this is also communicated in-person.

Where to find paper copies

Regulations outline we need to make certain documents available online and in paper form. More details on these planning regulations are available here. Where we specify this in our timetable of engagement, we are committing to publishing the document on our website and providing paper copies at our main office at Parke, visitor centres and public libraries. These can be found at the following addresses:

Parke Main Office - Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 9JQ. Open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm or call 01626 832093 Reception closed for lunch 1-2pm.

Haytor Visitor Centre - Haytor Vale, TQ13 9XT. We're situated in the lower car park, three miles west of Bovey Tracey. Opening times found here or call 01364 661520.

Postbridge Visitor Centre – We're just off the B3212 Moretonhampstead to Two Bridges road. Postcode PL20 6TH - follow the brown signs into the car park. Opening times found here or call 01822 880272.

Libraries – Opening times will vary; please contact the library you wish to visit directly. 

Tavistock library - The Quay, Plymouth Rd, Tavistock PL19 8AB. Phone: 01822 612218

Okehampton Library - 4 North Street, Okehampton EX20 1AR. Phone: 01837 52805

Mortonhampstead Library - Moretonhampstead Parish Hall, 16 Fore Street, Moretonhampstead TQ13 8LL. Phone: 07498 345858

Bovey Tracy Library - Riverside Community Centre, Station Road, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AW. Phone 01626 832026

Ashburton Library - 4 Saint Lawrence Lane, Newton Abbot TQ13 7DD. Phone 01626886899

Buckfastleigh Library - 32 Bossell Road, Buckfastleigh TQ11 0DD. Phone 01364 642638

Princetown Library - Princetown Village Centre, Princetown Yelverton PL20 6QE. Phone 01822 890370

Ivybridge Library - The Watermark, Erme Court, Leonards Road PL21 0SZ. Phone 01752 893140

Finally, the outreach vehicle will also host physical copies of the documents if members of the public wish to view them at events the Authority is attending.

As outlined in the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026, when preparing a new Local Plan engagement must be conducted with two key groups. These are known as 'specific consultation bodies' and 'general consultation bodies'. Specific consultation bodies are itemised in the planning regulations and include organisations such as the Environment Agency, Natural England and Education Authority. This list also includes Parish Councils and neighbouring planning authorities.

General consultation bodies are those specific to Dartmoor National Park and include voluntary organisations, groups representing people with protected characteristics, and business representative organisations. We will adopt a network-based approach to consultation, working through existing partnerships and representative organisations to maximise awareness and participation. The Partnership Plan Board brings together a diverse range of organisations with interests across Dartmoor and will provide an important channel for sharing information and promoting participation. In addition, established local and thematic networks have been identified to extend our reach, helping to ensure that a wide range of communities, stakeholders and interests are represented throughout the consultation process.

A list of consultees is provided within the Extra Information section. This list will be kept under review and up to date throughout the plan-making period.

Members of the public are invited to receive notifications by subscribing to our ‘keep in touch’ page. All those who respond to a consultation will also be asked if they wish to receive further notifications.

Ongoing engagement

Authority Members have a fundamental role in the preparation of the Local Plan. Members will be kept informed of Local Plan progress through the Planning and Sustainable Development Working Panel which will meet four times a year. This Panel provides Members with an opportunity to comment and advise on future work. These meetings have been scheduled to align with key milestones in the plan-making process, ensuring that Member’s input can be provided at the most appropriate stages.

In addition, Authority Members play an important role in strengthening communication between the Authority, other organisations and local communities. They will help share information through their networks, ensuring that updates, opportunities to get involved, and key messages reach a wider audience across Dartmoor.

We will continue to work with neighbouring authorities and the combined Devon and Torbay Authority on cross-boundary working to ensure that the local plan is positively prepared.

Parish Councils are statutory consultees, but we will engage with them throughout the plan-making process, not just at formal consultation stages. They have a valuable role in helping us stay connected with local communities by keeping residents informed, encouraging participation in engagement activities, and providing coordinated feedback on behalf of their communities.

Email: Forwardplanning@dartmoor.gov.uk

Facebook: Dartmoor National Park

Instagram:  lovedartmoor

LinkedIn: Dartmoor National Park Authority

TikTok: @DartmoorNationalPark

Newsletter sign up: Keep in touch | Dartmoor

Website: Home | Dartmoor

Parke Head Office Address: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 9JQ

Our Scoping Consultation asked respondents to rank which method of communication they preferred. Table 2 below shows the number of first choice votes each method received. Preference can clearly be seen for emails/newsletters and social media. There is additional support for the use of DNPA website and drop in events to also facilitate communication.

The graph below shows that we received zero responses to our scoping consultation from anyone declaring their age as below 26. This demonstrates a clear gap in views and opinions from a younger age group. As a result, we will conduct more targeted in person events catered to this audience. We will be approaching a variety of groups involved with younger people to help facilitate workshops to gather views from this demographic.

Consultee List

Specific Consultees:

• All parish councils within and adjoining Dartmoor National Park;
• Cornwall Council
• Devon and Cornwall Police
• Devon and Torbay Combined Authority
• Devon County Council (Authority responsible for: Education, Flooding, Nature Recovery, Integrated Transport and Minerals and Waste)
• English Sports Council
• Environment Agency
• Exeter City Council
• Forestry Commission
• Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England
• Homes and Communities Agency
• Mid Devon District Council
• National Gas
• National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) South West
• National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET)
• Natural England
• Network Rail Infrastructure Limited
• Office of Rail and Road
• Plymouth City Council
• South Hams District Council
• South West Water (Sewage and Water Undertaker)
• Teignbridge District Council
• Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
• Torbay Council
• West Devon Borough Council
• Business and IP Centre Devon
• Dartmoor Land Use Management Group
• Dartmoor Partnership Plan Board
• Devon & Somerset Fire Service
• Devon CAG (Community Action Groups)
• Devon Chamber of Commerce
• Devon Communities Together
• Ministry of Justice
• South Hams VCSE support partnership
• Teignbridge Community and Voluntary Services
• The Growth Hub (South West)
• West Devon Community and Voluntary Services

General Consultees

• Business and IP Centre Devon
• Dartmoor Land Use Management Group
• Dartmoor Partnership Plan Board
• Devon & Somerset Fire Service
• Devon CAG (Community Action Groups)
• Devon Chamber of Commerce
• Devon Communities Together
• Ministry of Justice
• South Hams VCSE support partnership
• Teignbridge Community and Voluntary Services
• The Growth Hub (South West)
• West Devon Community and Voluntary Services