Local developer bags approval for another 72 homes in Devon town

A local developer has bagged the right to build up to another 72 homes in an East Devon town directly opposite another of its schemes for 130 residences.

Baker Estates has been told it can build up to 72 homes on land south of Harepath Hill, which will mean it has around 200 homes in the area.
The firm managed to secure approval for its 130-homes scheme last year, but controversy around the way East Devon District Council’s planning committee conducted voting on it has contributed to a hold-up.
It’s understood that a so-called Section 106 agreement – which dictates certain things that a developer has to provide for the community – is in the final stages and should be signed off soon.
The latest application was voted through by East Devon’s planning committee, even though several members of the public spoke against it.
But there were no objections from official organisations that comment on planning applications, and while Seaton Town Council didn’t necessarily wholeheartedly endorse it, it acknowledged it couldn’t find a reason to refuse it.
Resident Miriam Pavey read a statement from fellow resident Margaret Leppard, a well-known flood expert in the area.
Ms Pavey said that Ms Leppard claimed Baker Estates had used outdated data to support its water drainage plans, and suggested that planners should attach conditions to any permission that require the developer to carry out necessary infrastructure works to improve the area’s sewage system.
She noted that much of the infrastructure that would deal with drainage was not yet constructed, and that she wanted to see this completed first before homes were either built or occupied.
“And in terms of foul water, the system in Seaton is barely coping, and Seaton sewer treatment works fails regularly, with combined sewer overflows discharging into the River Axe,” Ms Leppard’s letter read.“
So councillors, please be very careful with your decision making.”
Resident Di Smith said it was “vitally important” that there was sufficient infrastructure to support the development.
“The old sewerage system will come under severe pressure, and the local school is full, which begs the question whether residents will have to travel to fulfill their educational needs,” she said.
Ms Smith referenced flooding as another of her concerns, and noted in recent storms that roads around the area had flooded so badly they were closed, and that potholes in the area had now worsened.
But Graham Hutton, from the developer Baker Estates, highlighted that the site had been identified in the emerging local plan as an area where the principle of housebuilding had been accepted.
He added that the firm had held a public exhibition to outline its plans to residents, and felt that the scheme, alongside its other one for 130 homes, would benefit the town. The latter includes plans for a football pitch too.
“We are a relatively small, local developer, and delivery is everything for us,” he said.
“The draft local plan desires a masterplan for this area despite the land being in two separate allocations with different landowners, but I think we are the only people able to do it, and I think it will work brilliantly alongside the sports pitch.”
Mr Hutton said the development would be low-density, with almost half the land being open space, which he said was “far in excess of policy requirements” but would help with the issues of surface water drainage and mitigate the impact on protected species in the area.
He added that he understood why Seaton residents were “understandably vigilant” when it came to flooding, but that conditions attached to this scheme would mean infrastructure and mitigations would need to be in place before homes were built.
Councillor Marcus Hartnell Conservative, Seaton) said he was “supportive” of the application.
He described it as a “sustainable location for growth rather than an isolated development”, noting the application site was near where a Range and M&S were being developed.
“There is a clear and pressing need for housing, including affordable housing, in Seaton,” Cllr Hartnell added.
“There are 167 households on the housing waiting list and this development will provide 21 affordable homes.
“Baker Estates has a good track record of delivering affordable homes in Seaton and 21 is a meaningful contribution for families and younger residents who struggle to remain in the area.”
The planning committee at East Devon District Council voted in favour of the scheme, with seven members supporting it and two abstaining.