More than 100 homes could be built on an important area of land that helps an East Devon village maintain its separation from a fast-growing neighbouring town. An outline plan for up to 105 homes has been approved by planners, even though it sits within a designated green wedge on land south of London Road, between the village of Rockbeare and Cranbrook.
Green wedges are meant to keep conurbations apart. But the developer, Waddeton Park, scaled the scheme down and proposed single-storey homes on part of the plot while leaving some of it undeveloped. That swayed East Devon District Council planning officers towards recommending approval.
Some members of the council’s planning committee were unhappy that months had been spent identifying green wedges, only for development on them to be recommended. Despite that, the scheme was approved.
Councillor Olly Davey (Green Party, Exmouth Town) said: “Members of the public watching this would conclude that green wedges are hardly worth the paper they are written on. But we have the same situation north of Exmouth where we have a green wedge that is in the local plan as a preferred [development] site and unfortunately they are not sacrosanct.”
He added that while a planning inspector had originally concluded the Exmouth site’s green wedge designation was important, he thought the protection was “a lot less now”.
The Rockbeare ward member, Councillor Todd Olive, had called the London Road application “fundamentally unacceptable” in May because it was outside any established development boundary and sat on part of the “last remaining area of the green wedge between Cranbrook and the northern edge of Rockbeare”. He was unable to attend the meeting in person but informed the committee he stood by his previous comments.
The application was linked with plans to turn nearby agricultural land into a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, or SANG. This would include public open space, play space, and allotments within the emerging Clyst Valley Regional Park.
Because the housing application was an outline plan, a more detailed version will need to be submitted before any homes are built.
Amy Roberts, the agent for the developer, said engagement with East Devon had been ongoing for over 18 months. “We have really listened and made significant changes to the scheme,” she said. “Most importantly, the western most part of the development has been removed, and we have scaled the site down from 140 homes to 105. That directly addresses any concerns and materially reduces the visual impact.”
She added that because the new development would not breach the ridge line on the green wedge, it was acceptable because it would not lead to coalescence between Rockbeare and Cranbrook.
Revised national planning policies updated in August make it harder for local councils to oppose proposed developments unless the harms substantially outweigh the benefits. East Devon is also behind on its five-year housing target, meaning it is under pressure to approve schemes.
While planning officers accepted this scheme was in the green wedge, they stated that it “does not harm the green wedge’s function” because of the way the scheme had been designed.
The housing development also proposed a new vehicle access on London Road, as well as a new pedestrian access, shared foot and cycle ways, crossing points and traffic calming measures on the road. Devon County Council is undertaking various improvements on London Road, and the planning committee heard the county council supported the elements being proposed by Waddeton Park.
Planners Approve 105 Homes on Green Wedge