South West Exeter proposals shock local community

Members of Alphington Village Forum met with Bovis Homes on Monday (10/12/13) to express their views and objections to the Developer's new plans in the strongest terms. The meeting took place before Bovis Homes' opened their exhibition to show the public their plans for the South West Exeter 1-3 part of the Teignbridge Local Plan. The Forum members were shocked at what they saw, with the plans completely different from those in the original 'Plan Teignbridge'.

One of the biggest differences that upset the Forum are Bovis' plans to develop some 700 new dwellings on the Alphington side of the A379, plus other developers adding another approximately 200 in the Waybrook Lane area, creating the urban sprawl that the Forum was fighting so hard to avoid.

Original proposals saw the majority of new houses being built on the south of the A379, leaving large green spaces between the City boundary and this major road. Additionally the proposed new through-school to be built next to Chudleigh Road, south of Markham Lane, has been moved to south of the A379, meaning that Alphington children and all the other children in the 1,000 new Teignbridge houses on the north side of the road will have to cross a dual carriageway, a main arterial route around Exeter, on a daily basis.

Another big unwelcome change is the Matford River Valley Park being turned into a large Park and Ride. In the Masterplan it was described as 2informal open space associated with the existing Matford Brook and proposed new water feature/lake. This park is the key infrastructure proposed for the heart of the growth area and….provides an important recreational focus2. Most of this is now planned for the parking of 700 cars to replace the current Park and Ride at Matford, which is in a perfect position for all traffic, whereas the new one will be difficult to access from Dawlish and Exminster. Unless Bovis Homes change their plans, all the residents on the north side of the A379 will have to cross this road to access the country park high on the ridge near Exminster.

The new proposals would also destroy the valued landscape setting of the south-west gateway to Exeter, which contradicts the draft Masterplan, on which Teignbridge Council’s Local Plan for this South West Exeter development proposal was based.

This draft Masterplan stated that “the land that defines the southern boundary of Alphington is modern arable farmland which rises up to the Markham Lane ridge, enhancing the setting of Alphington and of the City”. At the Teignbridge District Council’s public hearing before the government inspector, Mrs Meadowcroft, Alphington Forum's Chair stated that the land between the Markham Lane ridge and the A379 should be defined as a 'green break', to prevent an urban sprawl joining Exeter to Exminster and eventually beyond.

The Forum has asked Bovis Homes to revise their proposal, add more details of landscaping and then repeat the exhibition in Alphington so that all the local residents have an opportunity of giving their views on this massive development of at least 2,000 homes just beyond Alphington.

With the ’up to 500’ new homes proposed for Alphington Village itself, they are already concerned about the heavy traffic congestion in Chudleigh and Church Roads, the affect on an already over-full primary school and health centre and want to know what new infrastructure will be provided by the developers. At present it looks like absolutely none.

See the Alphington Village Forum's Website to stay up to date - www.alphingtonforum.org.uk