PLANNING permission is being sought to demolish nine garages and build two council houses off Sunnymead in Copplestone.

The new detached homes would be owned by Mid Devon District Council and available for social rent. They would each have three bedrooms, a “substantial” garden and parking space for two cars.

They would have painted render and cement board cladding walls, concrete interlocking tile roofs and UPVC windows and doors.

The former garages on the “underutilised” site are “small” and in “poor condition”, according to the planning documents.

The existing vehicle access off Sunnymead would be used by the new occupants. The area of open green space to the southeast with the war memorial would be kept as it is.

“The proposed redevelopment of the site for residential use is the most viable and sustainable future reuse of the land, whilst ensuring there is no harm created upon the highways network, any natural assets or neighbouring buildings whilst providing a modest contribution to meeting the districts housing need and shortfall,” planning documents say.

“The site’s sustainable location is considered appropriate to accommodate the proposed development, maximising the potential [of] the substantial sized plot to provide the new dwellings to meet local housing needs.

“With the existing site of former garages underutilised and with no formal parking arrangements in place the site is currently considered as a brownfield site with no current viable use and in a sustainable location which would be a suitable location to accommodate the residential development.

“Moreover, the council cannot currently demonstrate a five-year housing supply, and the proposed dwellings would provide a modest contribution of two additional units within a sustainable location.

“The proposed design and scale of the scheme is appropriate for its location, with the materials appropriate to remaining in keeping with the remaining rendered properties along Sunnymead.

“With regards to the form and scale of the proposed dwellings, the plot is spacious enough to accommodate the detached two storey dwellings with no adverse or overbearing impacts being created.

“As the submitted plans demonstrate, from the Sunnymead highway, the ridge height of the new dwellings do [sic, does] not exceed the existing ridge height of the nearby Bewsely [sic, Bewsley] Hill dwellings.

“From the highway the frontages will not appear as visually intrusive but as a natural continuation of the residential uses in this location.”

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You can see the application on Mid Devon District Council’s website under reference 26/00662/FULL.