A planning application has been submitted for up to 140 houses off Chard Road in Axminster, along with improvements to Axminster Town Football Club's facilities. 

Proposals have been submitted to east Devon District Council, comprising an outline planning application for up to 140 new houses, 0.8 hectares of employment land and a children's play area, and a detailed planning application for a new floodlit training pitch at the adjoining Axminster Town Football Club, with drainage improvements and ball-stop netting.

The proposed site for the new housing development adjoins Chard Road to the north of the town, and is currently comprises of three fields in arable use. 

This was named as a preferred development site in the draft East Devon District Council Local Plan, but this has not yet been approved.

Between the two southern fields is the current access to Axminster Town Football Club – known as Tiger Way. As part of the development, this access road would be closed and new access to the housing development and through to the club would be created further north off the A358.

This would be built as a 'priority junction' with a right turn lane to minimise disruption to through traffic, and the 30mph speed limit along Chard Road would be extended to the include the junction with additional street lighting. 

The employment land on the site would be restricted to offices, shops and research and development purposes, rather than any heavy industrial uses.

The development would include an onsite community treatment plant that would treat effluent, along with other mitigation measures to to minimise further phosphates being released into the River Axe

The application says the development will "positively contribute to the growth of the local economy by providing new homes", including much-needed affordable homes. It will also create new jobs throughout the construction period and through the designated employment land.

Full details of the houses, such as the number of bedrooms, would be determined by a reserved matters planning application if the outline planning application is approved. 

You can view the full plans on the East Devon District Council website by searching reference number 23/0685/MOUT, where public comments can currently be made.