Home approved for farm shop family

Chairman's casting vote decides the issue

The family behind an ‘outstandingly successful’ Devon business has been given the go-ahead to build a home on the site.

Kate and Sam Brooking run a number of businesses at Stokeley Farm at Stokenham, within the area of the South Hams ‘undeveloped coast’ zone.

South Hams Council officers advised members of the development management committee to turn down the Brookings’ application for a four-bedroomed house on the site of their brewery, farm shop, cafe and ‘tree tent’ holiday business.

But after a long debate their application was allowed on the casting vote of committee chairman Mark Long (Ind, Salcombe and Thurlestone).

The house will be built on an ‘eyesore’ site previously used for fruit growing. An earlier application on the same site was rejected because it did not meet council criteria on renewable energy, trees and access.

The family came back with a fresh application which addressed all of those issues, but planning officers said there was no need for the home to support the business, there were already too many four-bedroomed homes in the area, and it would be in the precious undeveloped coast area.

Stokenham Parish Council chair Piers Spence said the home was the ‘definition of unsustainable’ and added: “This is a tremendously successful business, but it is hard to see the justification for an on-site presence.”

Kate Brooking told the meeting: “We are a busy and growing family, and we are proud to run multiple businesses that help to support the local economy.

“Living on site will help us achieve the ultimate dream of work, life and family balance.”

She said the property would not damage the local environment and added: “We aim to improve the location.

“We love where we work. We love the land and we are not trying to harm it. We just want to enhance it by building a home for us to enjoy for generations to come.”

Ward councillor Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Stokenham) said the business was an ‘economic driver’ for the area and it would be unreasonable to refuse the application, given the fact that the previous objections had been addressed.

And Cllr Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington and Staverton) added: “We’ve got a young family putting their life and soul into managing a business, and they’re saying this is what they need to support them.

“I think it would look poor on this council to just say no.”

Voting was tied, and Cllr Long used his casting vote to rule in favour of the application, which was granted with a number of conditions.