Major planning decisions at high profile East Devon District Council meeting
An unusually busy agenda at an East Devon planning meeting has seen several decisions made about major planning applications and issues in the district.
The meeting on Tuesday 11 June (which lasted for 11 hours) took in 16 applcations and reports on the Validation of Planning Applicaitons and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), discussing a fresh round of consultation on the council’s updated plans for charging developers per home they build, with money going towards infrastructure and community facilities.
With several high profile applications on the agenda the meeting attracted a larger than normal audience, particularly interest groups with views on Exmouth’s Premier Inn application and Seaton’s mixed-use residential and business development off Harepath Road.
The following major decisions were made after much debate, during which members of the committee listened several hours of public speaking on applications.
Exmouth:
Premier Inn:
Plans for a 60 bedroom new seafront Premier Inn with restaurant and cafe bar was approved subject to conditions and Section 106 Agreement by 11 votes to one with two abstentions, giving the scheme the planning green light to go ahead. It is anticipated that the council will now work with the applicant to complete the sale of the site from East Devon to Whitbread PLC, and upon completion work can start on-site.
The Section 106 Agreement will include £21,000 towards mitigating the effects of more visitors on the Exe Estuary, £150,000 towards replacement public toilets and showers and £30,000 towards improved walking/cycling links and public transport interchange.
Land adjacent to Buckingham Close (Plumb Park):
Clinton Devon Estates’ outline application for 350 homes at Plumb Park was approved subject to conditions and Section 106 Agreement by eight votes to six. A number of conditions were attached to the approval and a ‘Reserved Matters’ application must be made within two years, seeking approval for the layout, scale and appearance of the building(s) and the landscaping of the site.
Seaton:
Jurassic Coast Discovery Centre:
Updated plans for a new visitor centre on the site of the Tourist Information Centre were approved subject to conditions by 12 votes with two abstentions. The work will include demolition of existing Tourist Information Centre, land-fill operations and other infrastructure improvements including extinguishing existing Underfleet car park access and forming a new highways junction and car park access; erection of new-build Jurassic Coast Interpretation Centre and associated external works.
Land East of Harepath Road:
An outline planning application for a mixed-use development of offices, industrial units, play space, sports field, two football pitches, a multi-use games area, changing rooms, parking and up to 170 new homes was refused by 11 votes with two abstentions.
Full decision notices for all the applications, listing all of the final conditions, will be made available online at http://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk within two weeks. These can be found by searching under the application reference number.
Full minutes of the committee meeting will be available within two weeks at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/development_management_agenda_mins_remit.htm.
Cllr Helen Parr, Chairman of the Development Management Committee said: “As the new Chairman of DMC this meeting was something of a baptism of fire, with a long agenda and many important applications put before us. I’d like to commend the public speakers who made their cases so eloqently, and also the members of the committee who listened carefully and debated the issues at length.
“It’s our role to work objectively and make decisions based solidly on planning policy and regulations. There were strong views on all sides of today’s debates and I’ve no doubt there will continue to be. However, reflecting on the meeting I think we came to fair, well evidenced decisions on some difficult and finely balanced issues.”
Other decisions from the meeting were:
• Axminster Rural
13/0308/VAR Hawkwell Park, Wareham Road, Hawkchuch
REFUSED: Variation of condition 4 of planning permission 07/1853/COU to allow the provision of six additional residential pitches, each accommodating up to two caravans.
• Axminster Town
12/2245/FUL & 12/2243/LBC Lower Wyke Farm, Wyke, Axminster
APPROVED: Conversion of farm buildings to holiday accommodation.
• Broadclyst
06/3300/MOUT Land North of Exeter International Airport, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon
APPROVED: Variation of Section 106 Agreement relating to Skypark office.
• Exmouth Halsdon
13/0428/RES
Land to the rear of Eight Bells, Littlemead Lane, Exmouth
APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS: Reserved Matters application for the construction of four dwellings (approval of appearance, landscaping, layout, scale)
• Newbridges
13/0486/OUT Holm Lea, Wilmington, Honiton
APPROVED: Construction of dwelling (outline application with all matters reserved)
• Otterhead
13/0950/AGR Courtmoor Farm, Upottery, Honiton
APPROVED: Construction of agricultural building for winter housing and fodder storage
• Ottery St Mary Rural
13/0350/OUT Pitt Farm, Coombelake, Ottery St Mary
REFUSED: Farm managers dwelling (outline application)
• Ottery St Mary Rural
13/0360/FUL Land adjacent to The Aylesbeare Inn, Village Way, Aylesbeare, Exeter
APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS: Construction of three dwellings
• Ottery St Mary Rural
13/0611/COU Plot B, Bendarroch School, Village Way, Aylesbeare
APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS: Change of use of former school playing field to residential curtilage associated with Plot B, Bendarroch School.
• Ottery St Mary Rural
13/0642/OUT Barnfield House, Cadhay Lane, Ottery St Mary
APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS: Outline consent for the construction of two dwellings, retention of main house (Barnfield House), including details of new driveway access.
• Tale Vale
12/2581/FUL Colestocks Farm, Colestocks, Honiton
APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS: Conversion of farm buildings and existing dwelling to five dwellings and new access to highway.
• Woodbury & Lympstone
13/0709/FUL Sowden House, Longbrook Lane, Lympstone
RETROSPECTIVE APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS: Change of use from agricultural land to garden and retention of vehicular access and driveway.
