More than 30 sites in Axminster area put forward for potential development

More than 350 sites have been put forward for potential development across East Devon, including over 30 in Axminster and surrounding villages.

East Devon District Council received a total of 359 site submissions as part of the Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) process, ahead of the review of the Local Plan which is currently under way.

Of the 359, 194 are 'new' sites, while 165 were previously submitted to the council in 2017 when a call for sites as part of the now defunct Greater Exeter Strategic Plan was made.

The call for sites provided the opportunity for individuals and organisations to submit sites that they think have the potential to be developed for housing, economic or other uses, and officers have started the process of reviewing these ready for assessment work to commence.

Among the submissions were three different proposals for new settlements in the west end of the district – with a Clyst Valley Garden village on land south of Clyst St Mary and Clyst St George; land around Denbow Farm between the A30 and the A3052; and a site between Crealy Adventure Park and Greendale Business Park known as 'Greenbrook'.

The submissions also include about 30 sites in Axminster and surrounding villages, including the Axminster Carpets site in Woodmead Road, the Scott Rowe Building at Axminster Hospital, and land west of Chard Road and north of Axminster Town Football Club, as well as pockets of land in Kilmington, Musbury, Membury, Chardstock, All Saints, Smallridge and Hawkchurch (full list below).

No decisions have yet been made as to the amount and location of development, and not all sites will be deliverable or achievable, or will progress to the stage where they are consulted on with the public as part of the Local Plan issues and options consultation to be run at a later date.

East Devon residents split on future development

Residents across East Devon have been left split over how development should take place, the number and location of new homes to be built in the district, and if another 'Cranbrook-style new town' should be built, with a recent consultation reaching no consensus.

Ed Freeman, service lead for planning strategy and development management, told the committee that a more 'West End' focused approach to new housing development was the most popular, with 31 per cent of responses supporting this, closely followed by 27 per cent supporting the existing strategy, which would still see most new homes being built at the West End, but 16 per cent supported less focus on the West End and more homes at towns and villages elsewhere in the district.

He added: "Those settlements with a higher population, a greater range and number of jobs, community facilities and shops, better connectivity, and serving a wide area, will be placed at the top of the settlement hierarchy.

"Other, smaller settlements have fewer jobs and facilities, and therefore perform a more local but still important role – these settlements will be grouped lower down the hierarchy.

"The amount of development to be attributed to existing settlements will aim to be broadly consistent with the settlement hierarchy, however, factors such as district-wide housing and employment requirement, environmental constraints, sustainability appraisals, land availability, infrastructure requirements and viability will also be considered in identifying the amounts of housing and employment development at each settlement.

"Once these factors are considered, decisions can be made as to whether to focus more development close to Exeter in the western quadrant of the district, have a more even distribution across the western quadrant and existing settlement, or disperse development more widely to existing towns and villages across East Devon with less in the western quadrant.

"If a close to Exeter/western quadrant focussed approach is preferred, given the constraints elsewhere, particularly the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this will likely mean one or more new settlements in the western part of the district."

Councillors had previously heard that the north-west quadrant of the district, between the north of Exmouth and west of Ottery St Mary, was the least constrained part of the district for accommodating growth and would be the 'logical' location for any growth to take place.

East Devon to consider needs of neighbouring communities

Mr Freeman also added that 'unmet need' from neighbouring authorities was something that East Devon would have to take into account when revising the Local Plan.

He said that in their response, Dorset Council said that as there were limited opportunities in Lyme Regis, which is adjacent to the Devon border, to meet needs for affordable homes and employment, there needs to be a consideration of opportunities to meet needs in East Devon.

Mr Freeman said: "We are bound by duty to co-operate and that is an issue we will have to address. We don't have to accept what they are saying or their needs, but these areas have raised it as an issue."

He added: "The HELAA process is about what can be delivered or achieved on the sites, not whether they are suitable, and which sites are to be allocated is for you to discuss following advice from the HELAA panel and officers.

"While brownfields are desirable, they have their own constraints and these kinds of issues can add to the costs of developing them, but we do agree with the principle of bringing them forward first and they should come forward through the process."

The committee were told by chairman Cllr Dan Ledger that Tuesday's meeting was not one where discussion of any individual sites should be raised, but Cllr Eleanor Rylance said that the West End of East Devon is 'not a desert' and is a collection of villages that already have been swamped by development.

Cllr Philip Skinner added: "If we don't allow some development in the villages in which we live, then they will wither on the vine. It can be difficult to understand the balance going forward, but the villages want to see a little bit of housing, but not 50 houses and neighbourhood plans with villages are vital for how we go forward with the plan process."

Cllr Jess Bailey asked whether communities which have experienced vast levels of developments in the past would have this taken into account when looking at future development.

Mr Freeman said this could be looked at, but it was difficult as East Devon was trying to focus on growth in sustainable locations.

He said: "The areas that didn't last time have much development probably was because they weren't considered sustainable so unless they have become sustainable, I don't think we can distribute growth to them just because they didn't last time, and it may mean it has to go in the areas that they went last time.

"But I understand that may be difficult for communities to accept, and if they keep delivering growth to the areas, then further growth may not be sustainable."

A further report on the strategy for development will come to a future Strategic Planning Committee meeting, with members agreeing to note the various issues and options relating to the strategy for the distribution of development in the emerging Local Plan, the feedback report and the consultation responses received to the Local Plan issues and options report, and for a HELAA panel meeting to be held, with them to operate in an advisory capacity, making use of their specialist knowledge to advise on 'achievability' of the proposed sites.

Full list of sites proposed as part of the HELAA process in the Axminster area:

Land lying to the south of Knights Lane, All Saints, Axminster (gated access between the properties of Pendle and Spindlewood) - EX13 7LS

Land at Smallridge, Axminster - EX13 7JJ

LandNorth of Shoals, Musbury Road, Axminster - EX13 8TQ

Land adjacent to fire station at Lyme Close, Axminster - EX13 5BA

Land at Kings Farm, Woodbury Lane, Axminster - EX13 5TL

Land at Green Lane, Raymonds Hill, Axminster - EX13 5TD

Axminster Carpets Factory Site, Woodmead Road, Axminster - EX13 5PG

Land off Wyke Lane, Axminster - EX13 5TL

Great Jackleigh Farm, Axminster - EX13 8TN

Scott Rowe Building, Axminster Hospital, Chard Street, Axminster - EX13 5DU

Land on the south east side of Axminster - no postcode given

Land at Lea Combe, Field End, Axminster - EX13 5BD

Land on the north side of Shute Road (Gapemouth Corner), Kilmington, Axminster - no postcode given

Land opposite Clay Steps, Chardstock - EX13 7DA

Chubbs Yard, Chardstock, Axminster - EX13 7BT

Land off Green Land, Chardstock, Axminster - EX13 7BH

Land east of Axminster (central parcels) - no postcode given

Land west of Chard Road, north of Axminster Town FC - no postcode given

Norton Store, Hawkchurch, Axminster - EX13 5XW

Field south-east of Hawkchuch School, behind and adjacent to School Close - EX13 5GL

Land At Pit Orchard, Bim Bom Lane, Kilmington, Axminster - no postcode given

Land at Gore Lane, Kilmington, Axminster - no postcode given

Land adjoining Breach, Kilmington, Axminster - EX13 7ST

Fernwood, Kilmington, Axminster - EX13 7NU

Field to the east of George Lane, between Dares Field and A35 Highway, Kilmington, Axminster - EX13

Land east of George Lane, Kilmington, Axminster - no postcode given

Land to the west and south west of the Old Inn, Kilmington, Axminster - EX13 7RB

Land to the east of and off Whitford Road, between Ashes Farm and The Beacon Chapel, Kilmington, Axminster - EX13 7RF

Land off Whitford Road (north of The Beacon), Kilmington, Axminster - EX13 7RF

Land to the rear of Old Post Office, Membury, Axminster - EX13

Kinders, Membury, Axminster - EX13 7AF

Baxter's Farm, The Street, Musbury, Axminster - EX13 8AU

Churchpath field, Axminster Road, Musbury, Axminster - EX13 8AQ

Doatshayne Lane, Musbury, Axminster - EX13 8TR

Not all sites will be deliverable or achievable, or will progress to the stage where they are consulted on with the public as part of the Local Plan issues and options consultation to be run at a later date