Objectors claim 60-homes plan would be ‘gross overdevelopment’ of village

An under-pressure village is set to face the prospect of yet more properties as a proposal for 60 homes gets scrutinised next week.

Submitted by South West Strategic Developments, the proposal for land north of Beechwood Farm, on Green Lane, seeks to build up to 60 homes and provide public open space.
Public outcry over the plan has been strong, with 88 written objections sent into East Devon District Council, whose planning committee will decide on the plans on Tuesday (27 January).
The application is an outline one, meaning that if approval is given, the developer would then need to submit another application to confirm details such as the exact number of homes and their design.
Feniton failed in its bids to block various schemes last year, including one for 35 homes south of the railway line near The Burlands, and an 86-home scheme on Colestocks Road, which was given consent by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
The village, historically flood-prone, now benefits from a flood alleviation scheme that has been completed by the district council.
But some residents fear whether the scheme can cope with more properties, or whether it is only actually designed to deal with the village’s current number of homes.
Councillor Alasdair Bruce (Independent, Feniton), who represents the village on the district council, said the plans represent a “gross overdevelopment of the village” and “further harms the identity, character and sustainability of the village”.
“Once again, I find myself referring to the same issues that impact on Feniton every time a major development threatens. They do not go away.
“It is clear that this village has taken its fair share of development in the recent past and that which is currently passed by planning. The school is still full with no means of expanding, there is still only one small spar shop, there is still only one pub. The lanes are still narrow and often clogged with traffic at peak times.
“Almost all journeys for employment, school drop offs and shopping are undertaken by car as there is [no] reliable public service.
“More hard surfaces will exacerbate the problem of flooding in the village. I would urge the planning committee to look at Feniton again in the harsh light of reality given what I and many others have said on this application.”
The land where the houses are being proposed is included in East Devon’s emerging local plan, which identifies sites where the notion of housing is deemed acceptable by the council. While the plan has not been finalised, members of the planning committee are aware of the places that are notionally being chalked up for development to occur, which can make refusing schemes in such locations more challenging.
Nevertheless, Feniton Parish Council has also urged the committee to object to the plans.
“Although the site is included in the [emerging] version of the local plan, it is envisaged that the allocations are for up 2040,” the parish said.
“It is already accepted, by EDDC, that the numbers of houses allocated to Feniton in the draft local plan are very much higher than any other tier 4 settlement, so to give permission to the whole of the 15-year allocation, before the local plan is even agreed, would be totally unacceptable.
“The absence of employment in the village will mean that there will be very high levels of commuting, increasing massively the carbon footprint of the village, something which is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework.”
While the negative feelings towards the plans from residents are clear, the lead flood authority has not raised any objections, and nor have other formal consultees, such as the highways authority or conservation officer.
East Devon’s planning committee will discuss the application on Tuesday (27 January).