A Devon business will be able to serve up its ‘educatering’ facility after winning an appeal that it launched after its plans were blocked.
Goosemoor, which has been in the Pritchard family for almost 70 years, applied to construct a site in East Devon that would mostly be dedicated to a food distribution centre that would serve its school meals business.
This is likely to operate 24-hours a day for six days a week, but the business also wanted the development, in the parish of Woodbury, to include a classroom where children could learn about the provenance of their food and cook meals, as well as open space where crops would have been grown to provide ingredients.
Local planners refused to grant the scheme permission earlier this year due partly to fears about its impact on the surrounding countryside – most of which has some form of protected designation – and the belief it would most likely need to be accessed by car, which itself could be problematic for others using the small rural access lane which has no pavements or street lights.
East Devon District Council’s planning committee also raised concerns about the potential impact on nearby properties, which include Grade II listed North Lodge, Nutwell Cottages and Nutwell Lodge Hotel.
But a government planning inspector has overturned the decision – albeit imposing 26 conditions on the business.
Goosemoor has welcomed the decision, while a spokesperson for the council said it was “disappointed” given its “clear concerns” about the proposal.
While the inspector, Laura Cuthbert, agreed with some of the issues the council raised, she gave most of them only ‘limited’ or ‘moderate’ weight, but gave “significant weight” to the benefit the scheme could bring in providing employment and its potential for a wider economic boost.
In her report, the inspector suggested the development could create up to 75 additional jobs.
Referencing the council’s own economic development officer, Ms Cuthbert said the authority had recently confirmed a “critical and well-established shortage of available employment land” in East Devon, which was “constraining inward investment, local business growth and forcing some employers to leave the district”.
Ms Cuthbert said: “These comments indicate that concerns regarding the availability of employment land and commercial premises remain significant and ongoing.
“Consequently, notwithstanding the council’s emerging strategy to address this matter, there remains an acknowledged and substantial shortfall in employment land across the district.
“Whilst future allocations may assist in meeting that need, their delivery remains uncertain at present. Having regard to the evidence before me, I conclude that the proposal would make a meaningful contribution towards addressing the current shortage of employment land and premises.”
Jamie Walsh, the founder and director of Goosemoor Educatering, welcomed the decision.
“The appeal has gone our way, and I think the process was pretty considered,” he said.
“It was back and forth from both sides, but what was pleasing is that in the appeal format, we could answer any queries, statements or questions and so it felt a lot more like our voice was heard [than at the planning committee].”
“The inspector kept mentioning the planning balance and it came down more in our favour with the potential negatives not being enough to block the application.”
Mr Walsh said he hoped work on the site would begin in spring next year, once the company has satisfied the planning conditions placed upon the scheme.
A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said the authority was “disappointed” the appeal had been allowed.
“Our position was that the site conflicted with countryside protection policies, was in an unsustainable location with very limited access to public transport, walking and cycling routes, and would cause harm to the landscape and to the setting of nearby listed buildings,” the spokesperson said.
“While the inspector agreed with all of these concerns, they concluded that the economic benefits of the scheme outweighed the harm identified, in the absence of a suitable alternative site.
“We respect the inspector’s decision, but our position remains that development in the countryside must be carefully managed and located where it can be properly supported by sustainable transport and infrastructure.”
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