PLANNING permission is being sought to build nine houses in principle on a piece of farmland in Nomansland.

The new homes would be located just south of the B3137 and east of Nomansland Cricket Club.

Since Bob Charlton of Southwick Farm is only asking the council to allow development in principle, another application would be needed later before the houses are built, to decide what they would look like and how people would get to them.

Nevertheless, planning documents already say the development would be accessed from a new road off the B3137 in the eastern corner of the field, which would serve both the new homes and a “newly proposed [more than 60-space] car park for the Mount Pleasant Inn”, which is not part of the application.

They also argue that, since Mid Devon District Council cannot show the government it has at least five years’ worth of land for new homes, the scheme should be approved.

“Mid Devon District Council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land,” the documents say.

“Under the National Planning Policy Framework (Paragraph 11d), this triggers the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

“The proposal is well-located adjoining an existing settlement cluster with access to services, community facilities and public transport.

“There are no adverse impacts that would outweigh the benefits.

“Appeal decisions have shown that even if a site is not allocated in the current plan or is outside development boundaries, it can still nevertheless be considered to be “sustainable development” if there are no site-specific technical objections and it is located within reasonable reach of an appropriate level of services and facilities.

“The site is located between Nomansland Cricket Club and the Mount Pleasant Inn, which together comprise the primary community and social focal points of the settlement.

“Whilst it is acknowledged that the site is located outside of a defined settlement limit and... is considered to be in the countryside, it is well located adjacent to the built development of Nomansland that clusters around the crossroads to the east and the Mount Pleasant Inn.

“Furthermore, it is located within a sustainable location that can be accessed by public transport and where there are local facilities nearby.”

You can see the application on Mid Devon District Council’s website under reference 25/01580/PIP.

To see more public notices and planning applications, visit: publicnoticeportal.uk.