It is now 12 years since the first residents moved into the rapidly growing town of Cranbrook on the outskirts of Exeter . Currently, 3,300 homes have been built there and those numbers will more than double over the coming years. Once the town is fully built there could be around 8,100 homes with more facilities created for residents throughout its expansion.
However, its long-promised town centre and first supermarket are still eagerly awaited, causing much frustration among those who live there. East Devon District Council (EDDC) has confirmed the proposed masterplan for the ongoing development of the town centre will be considered by its Strategic Planning Committee in October. Morrisons , which has taken up the lease on the supermarket building, is expected to announce an update soon.
Read next: Cranbrook is still waiting for its Morrisons Every Devon school suspension as more than 24,000 issued Despite the delays, what quickly becomes apparent when speaking to Cranbrook residents is that what the town does have in abundance isn't what has been created by builders but by those who live there - and that is a unique strong community spirit. Unlike other communities which are steeped in history, Cranbrook has been making its own since the arrival of its first occupants and new people continue to be welcomed with open arms on a weekly basis. Among the first residents to move into Cranbrook 12 years ago was Dan and Emma Stokes.
They initially moved into St Michael's Way and n.