The battle lines around a possible monster site that could accommodate up to 700 homes in Exmouth are emerging as objectors believe early proposals are in “direct conflict” with policies.
The battle lines around a possible monster site that could accommodate up to 700 homes in Exmouth are emerging as objectors believe early proposals are in “direct conflict” with policies.
No formal planning application has yet been submitted, and the site itself hasn’t yet been given the green light to have homes built on it.
But the land, near St John’s on the outskirts of Exmouth, has been included in the draft of East Devon District Council’s emerging local plan.
That means it has been shortlisted as a possible location where development would be deemed acceptable by the council, but local plans have to be approved by the government before they become binding.
Independent developer 3West has already hosted what some campaigners called a “slick and prepared” webcast about their initial ideas for the site – which has become officially known as Exmo_20 from its designation in the emerging local plan.
The developer, whose registered address is in Exeter, said that to get the proposal right it needed to “work with the local community to understand how these plans can be the best they can be”, noting that its webinar was “one of the first steps”.
But those same campaigners suggest there is a key issue.
“What they are presenting is in direct conflict with many of the statutory and non-statutory consultation responses for the emerging local plan, and East Devon District Council’s own Habitat Regulations Assessment,” said Nigel Humphrey, one of several campaigners who have followed the ongoing progression of the local plan for years.
“There were several questions asked with regards to some key issues, for example, access points and house numbers, bus routes, the use of St John’s Road, and the 400 metre buffer zone to name a few,” Mr Humphreys said.
“However, the developer’s responses to these questions were rather disappointing. The ‘it is early days and we need to carry out some studies/surveys’, was not the response that we expected, especially after over 18 months of asking similar questions.”
The so-called ‘buffer zone’ relates to a proposed gap of 400 metres between any prospective homes and the nearby pebblebed heaths, which boast an internationally recognised sustainability designation.
However, the draft local plan does propose that a road could be constructed in this buffer to allow access to the proposed site.
That has irked campaigners.
3West said its webinar provided “an opportunity for attendees to hear more about the company’s early vision for the site and ask questions directly to the project team”.
It acknowledged the plans were at an early stage, but that its ambition was “to create a well-designed, landscape-led neighbourhood that responds sensitively to its surroundings and delivers much-needed new homes for Exmouth”.
David Matthews, business and operations director at 3West Group, said: “East Devon desperately needs new homes. Our emerging plans for the site known as Exmo_20 will create a neighbourhood for Exmouth, shaped by landscape and community.
“To get this right we need to work with the local community to understand how these plans can be the best they can be. Our webinar was one of the first steps. We’re introducing ourselves, explaining the process and beginning to understand what people think about our approach.
“This is the beginning of the process. We will be engaging throughout the summer ahead of submitting a planning application later this year.”
East Devon had been planning to submit its draft local plan to the government in the summer, but rule changes mean it can now do so by the end of the year.
The 3West webinar recording, presentation slides and plans are available to view on the project website at EXMO_20 Community Webinar.
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