86 homes approved for Devon village

The scheme has been waived through by the Planning Inspectorate

A Devon village has suffered a blow after a development for up to 86 homes has been greenlit by the Planning Inspectorate.

Plans for land east of Colestocks Road, in Feniton, were taken to appeal by developer Taylor Wimpey because no decision was made on it by East Devon District Council within the required timeframe.

The outline planning application now means the developer can begin to move ahead with its plans, but will now need to submit a subsequent application that confirms details such as the number of homes, their layout and design.

A condition has been attached to outline approval for 50 per cent of the homes to be affordable, and a so-called Grampian condition that would require drainage plans for the scheme to be implemented before any construction is started.

Residents in Feniton raised fears that the development could exacerbate flooding in the village. 

Feniton has been prone to flooding in the past, and East Devon District Council has spent around £6 million on a flood alleviation scheme there which is nearing completion.

Although the inspector acknowledged the village’s flooding concerns, the report stated that it was felt surface water attenuation plans would be sufficient to mitigate any amplified flooding risk, and that the measures to discharge the water at slower rates than it currently runs off the green field site would also reduce risk.

Martyn Smith, a member of Feniton Parish Council, said flooding was a “big issue” for the village.

“A lot of the appeal hinged around the way the developer is going to manage water and flooding,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I think the barrister representing Taylor Wimpey persuaded the inspector that their plan would work,  but we dont know if will or not.

“And if you take a chance on a plan and doesn’t work, we are really are left in a bad situation.”

He added the Colestocks Road site was “not a particularly good one for housing”.

“The inspector noted it is Grade 2 agricultural land, and so it is some of the best in East Devon,” he said.

“The inspector said it was only a small loss, but this is the thin end of the wedge.”

Mr Smith added that the community was concerned about the cumulative impact on the village if potential sites that are being proposed as potential development sites also get given the go-ahead.

“The impact on Feniton will be horrendous,” he said.

“That’s our biggest concern now, is how many of the other sites come forward.”

It was also noted in the planning inspector’s report that the development did conflict with various development strategies at East Devon, but that this did not outweigh the need for more homes.

The inspector also noted that East Devon’s emerging local plan, which is deciding where homes should be placed across the district between now and 2042, has pencilled in a minimum of 127 homes for Feniton.

It was noted that with the Colestocks Road scheme and other recently completed and granted schemes, that total would hit 146, and then even with another potential site on land at Beechwood, that would mean 206 homes.

“In this respect, I note that the percentage growth in households, relating to an increase of 206 dwellings, would be greater than that for any other [similar] settlements, albeit just taking account of allocations in those other places,” the inspector said.

“I also note that the proposed allocations for Feniton would on their own be greater than those for any other service villages.

“Nevertheless, the percentage growth for Feniton would not be substantially greater than a small number of those other settlements.”

Opposition to the scheme had also been predicated on a ‘super inquiry’ in 2014 in relation to four proposed schemes for Feniton. This deemed four large-scale schemes as unsuitable for Feniton due to it being an “unsustainable location” for that many new homes, especially given the provision of supporting services, such as schools or health centres, would not have been provided too.

While the inspector in this case stated there was “no reason to disagree” with that finding, it was noted that “it could not on its own outweigh the pressing need to address the housing shortfall”.

The inspector added that the village did have some services, and that there was “no substantive evidence” that the primary school would not be able to cope with additional children from the development, and also felt the small shop could manage with the potential increased customer.

It was stated that while the village’s dental surgery was not currently taking NHS patients, part of the cash that the developer will have to pay to help fund community assets would go to the NHS.