Final site allocations for East Devon's Local Plan will be decided at the end of this month.

The East Devon District Council's (EDDC) Strategic Planning Committee will review district residential and employment development proposals on October 29.

The aim is to address a shortfall of more than 2,200 homes.

The committee will reconsider several previously discussed sites and a few new ones.

Major sites being reconsidered include areas to the north of Exmouth, east of Axminster, around Honiton, west of Ottery St Mary, and a large development north of Topsham.

Some of these are in sensitive locations, such as national landscapes and green wedges, which must be considered to meet government-imposed housing numbers.

Currently, the requirement stands at 946 new homes per year, but this is set to rise to 1,146.

The EDDC is progressing with a new Local Plan to meet the 946 target, which means a final draft will likely need to be published by the end of this year to comply with government requirements.

Councillor Todd Olive, East Devon District Council's portfolio holder for strategic planning, said: "It is vital that we progress the Local Plan quickly to ensure that we meet the timescales for the plan to be examined under the current rules.

"Failure to achieve this will increase the number of houses that we are required to provide, to meet ever increasing government housing numbers."

He added: "We are already having to make extremely difficult decisions to identify sites, but we need to do this to maintain an adequate housing supply and retain full control over where development is built in the district in the future."

The Strategic Planning Committee has not formally rejected any sites under consideration.

The report proposes new communities on land between Crealy Adventure Park and Greendale Business Park on the A3052, land between Clyst St Mary and Clyst St George, and a new village to the south and east of Clyst St George.

Several smaller sites across the district will also be considered.

The meeting is part of ongoing discussions to agree on a final draft of the new Local Plan ready for public consultation.

Afterwards, the plan will be submitted for examination in public by a government-appointed planning inspector.

Residents are encouraged to check the agenda for a list of sites to be discussed, including revised recommendations.

Some sites not previously selected for allocation may be considered at the meeting.

Where sites are to be reconsidered, the public will be able to address the committee in line with the public speaking arrangements.