PLANNERS, on Wednesday, November 5, are expected to approve the first of a number of anticipated new housing plans for the town now that the Crediton Link Road has been opened.

The Downes Estate and Waddeton Park Ltd have submitted a plan for a mixed use development comprising 185 residential dwellings together, with land for employment use and public open spaces on land at Wellparks, Exeter Road, Crediton.

A public exhibition of the proposals was held at Crediton Congregational Church on April 29, when the public were invited to view and comment on the plan.

The application area totals 9.9 hectares and the site is one of the allocated development sites within Crediton.

The plan is for a residential development comprising 185 dwellings (two, three and four bedroom but mostly three-bed properties) together with 1,935 sq.m. of employment space (B1 and B8), public open space (including ecological areas, children's play areas and attenuation ponds), new streets, public footpaths and cycle ways.

The housing will be a mix of open market and affordable family homes, including homes for rent and shared ownership, self-build and other tenures.

A new pedestrian and cycle linkage will be provided from the site northward to Crediton Town Centre via Downeshead Lane and East Street.

This new link will go through a new informal green space which will be designed and laid out as an ecological park area.

The existing lane from the Wellparks complex will provide pedestrian and cycle access onto the A377, near the Tesco roundabout, there will be pedestrian entrances along the Exeter Road frontage and a new pedestrian/cycle access at the western end of the southern boundary for ease of access to the railway station.

Vehicle access will be via a spur road installed on Wellparks Hill on the Crediton Link Road.

Tim Baker, of Waddeton Park Ltd, explained: "The masterplan approach is to work with the existing characteristics of the site and its setting to create a distinctive and high quality scheme.

"The proposal will respect the character of Wellparks, the surrounding built and natural environment and provide generous areas of open space."

He added that the site's location on the edge of Crediton provides good access to local facilities and public transport. The quality of the environment provides a great foundation to create a highly sustainable scheme with an attractive and distinctive identity.

Mr Baker said the site also connects to Crediton Town Centre, local facilities, public transport and highways, provides a creative design response to the site topography and views of the site, accommodates a range of homes to support a diverse new neighbourhood as a positive addition to the community of Crediton and connects people, place and nature through a network of green corridors and spaces linking to town and countryside.

Waddeton Park Ltd say the development will achieve high standards of environmental design to meet national and local sustainability targets.

It adds that the integrated design approach will provide a framework for sustainable construction, energy management, water conservation etc.