Exclusive by Sue Read

COPPLESTONE is moving up a gear in its fight against more new homes in a village that has grown by almost 60 per cent this century.

About 30 people were at Copplestone Parish Council’s meeting on Tuesday evening when an outline planning application to build up to 60 homes with a means of access east of Dulings Farm was strongly objected to.

Parish council chairman, Stuart Penny, emphasised that the parish council was simply a consultee, that the decision would be made by Mid Devon District Council.

NO SURGERY

The plan had included a doctor’s surgery, but that part was withdrawn in October because the applicant had understood “the NHS position was to consolidate services rather than provide additional facilities to meet needs locally.”

It has also been given at least three extensions of time for comments and investigations to be made with the deadline now being January 5, 2017.

The site is 3.81ha. The applicants are Waddeton Park Limited who were behind the Topsham Rugby Club plan and who have built elsewhere in Devon, whose agent is PCL Planning of Clyst Honiton.

PCL describe the site as being bounded by the A377 and Elston Lane to the south, open fields to the east, trees and “other vegetation” to the north and Dulings Farm and the residential development of Dulings Meadow.

It includes 120 proposed car parking spaces and could mean changes to Elston Lane which leads to residential properties, a garage and a company supplying poultry, meat and game.

An environmental survey commissioned by PCL said the site was of “very little ecological value consisting mainly of an arable crop field.”

HEDGEROWS

It also said: “Habitats of more value on the site include the species rich Devon hedgerows which form most of the site boundaries and the stream corridor, which bisects the site from east to west and include numerous mature trees.”

One of the fears of local people is flooding and how it might be dealt with. The report says it would not increase flood risk elsewhere and would use an existing watercourse with a pond or lake.

A report also said the applicant was proposing 35 per cent, or 21 homes, should be for affordable housing.

SECTION 106

This would mean that a Section 106 financial contribution from a developer would be £172,926 using the formula of £4,434 per dwelling. It had previously been thought the S106 sum could be more like £266,000 as an air quality management figure.

Section 106 monies are something that comes under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as contributions sought from developers towards the cost of providing community and social infrastructure - play areas, open space and the like.

Among the comments from people during the public session of the parish council was that the main road, the A377, needed attention before any more housing was built.

It was said it would need to be realigned. When Mid Devon District Council member for the area, Cllr Peter Heal, said the district council website showed how the road could work, it was said a lot of assumptions had been made on behalf of the applicants.

FLOODING

Flooding was mentioned several times, one lady saying that every time it rained runoff was now like a river, not just a little bit but inches deep. She added that since the Barratt development the amount of water had doubled and wondered what would happen if there were even more houses.

It was asked how many children might live in the new homes, that the village school now had very little spare room for more and queried figures that seemed to show the school had capacity to spare.

Cllr Heal told the meeting that all these sort of questions were not covered in an outline application. That was what would be looked at in a detailed application, when comments could be made.

NO FIVE YEAR LAND SUPPLY PLAN

However, there was the problem that the district council did not have a five year land supply plan, it could be a year before its Local Plan was adopted, leaving it open to challenge.

Cllr Derek Coren, also district council member for the area, said people that evening had made it clear they did not want any more houses in Copplestone, saying he would do what he could to support them.

When it was said that a planning application had been made for The Shambles, known in the village as Shambles Two to finish this site, the meeting was told this could not be taken into account. It was a separate application in a different place.

County Councillor Nick Way said people had “every right to be concerned” about the number of children who could go to the village school.

It was also said that Copplestone was now a village of around 2,000 people but without a village hall. More homes would make that more of a problem. The parish council meets in the Methodist Chapel meeting room.

Parish councillor Karen Reynolds said this was another big development the village could not sustain.

‘STRAGGLING’ ALONG THE A377

Parish councillor Julie Rumble agreed adding that Copplestone was “straggling further and further along the A377.”

A petition was set up by Alice Fraser-Edwards after the plan was first lodged. It can be found on the website: change.org entitled: Copplestone: Stop More Houses at Dulings Farm. So far there are around 150 signatures.

It says: “It is vital we prevent the building of houses on this land because:

• More houses in the village would create a huge strain on the village facilities, such as the school, when Copplestone has already been home to two new large housing sites in the past 15 years (Dulings Meadow and Bishop’s Drive).

• It would increase traffic congestion in the village largely.

• It would destroy land used, appreciated and loved by the village.

• It would destroy very valuable, arable and historic land.

• It would disrupt and destroy the strong natural population/habitats of the land.

“We do not need more houses in Copplestone, especially not at such a price to the community. Please sign and share this petition to save Copplestone!”

An action group has been set up and more information can be found on the website.

COMMENTS WELCOME

The application number is 16/00924/MOUT. Letters and comments would be welcomed by Mid Devon District Council.

Email: [email protected] quoting the planning reference number or write to: Planning, Mid Devon District Council, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6PP.