AN Ivybridge councillor is focusing his attention on how ‘ideas and aspirations’ for the future of the town can become reality.

Town councillor Gareth Derrick believes that, as the Ivybridge Neighbourhood Plan continues to progress, residents and representatives should look at how to implement the ideas and proposals contained within it.

Locals were asked to give their views on the draft Plan earlier in the year, and the document is now being examined by South Hams Council to make sure it is legally sound.

Cllr Derrick says his personal ‘vision for Ivybridge’ would involve a new, more proactive way of working for the town council, with a clearly stated plan and increasing openness and transparency.

He would like to create a stronger identity for Ivybridge, and says the council should develop the ‘cut and thrust’ to compete with other towns.

Cllr Derrick produced a document outlining his proposal that was discussed at a recent meeting of the council’s Policy and Resources Committee. He said he learnt a lot from the debate, much of which focused on issues that might be ‘slipping through the cracks’ in the council’s current structure.

He was invited to expand the document ahead of a further discussion at a meeting in February.

There are three broad elements to Cllr Derrick’s proposal, and he believes that the starting point is to take a good look at all the things that are happening over the next three, four or five years.

He said: ‘There are a number of housing developments, there are issues over policing which have been announced, the police station’s going to go, the leisure centre tender is up for renewal, there is talk about new transport routes supporting Ivybridge’s eastern development.

‘There’s so much happening, and I’m not sure that anyone’s taken the time to see what all that means for Ivybridge, to get clarity on the bigger things that are driving Ivybridge’s future. For example rail, what are future rail services going to look like?

‘If we’re having a lot more people in Ivybridge, is the potential decline in mainline rail services going to be right - big questions like that.

‘The next step is to establish the needs for Ivybridge. Does Ivybridge need something new, or does the council need to take on new responsbilities that it hasn’t had in the past.

‘There is going to be devolution, and some of that might flow down to the town council. There are going to be services that are cut. Ivybridge may need to respond to some of those reductions in public services.

‘There may be things that we haven’t thought of yet, that are effectively falling through the cracks.

‘Then you can begin to say, we can’t do everything as a council, but we can certainly focus on our priorities. It may be that we define the council’s priorities, but we can also define the focus of our lobbying of others who can help bring positive change.

‘We should recognise that although something might be out of the council’s direct control and remit, it doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about it.’

Cllr Derrick believes that having a clear plan would give the council a ‘stronger voice’. He added that his concept is entirely consistent with the Neighbourhood Plan, saying: ‘The Neighbourhood Plan sets out the policies and objectives. The next step is how to implement them.

‘We need to switch a bit, from dealing with things as they happen, to looking a little further forward – what do we want to happen?

‘But there’s no point in coming up with a ridiculously ambitious plan. It should be based on genuine possibilities and not vague ideas, and it should be clear to the public what we’re planning.

‘It’s about turning ideas and ambitions into some form of reality.’