Major housebuilder eyes huge hike on proposed East Devon site

Major housebuilder Taylor Wimpey is preparing a 300-home scheme at a site in an East Devon town originally set for just 100.

The site, on land south of the railway near Northcote Hill in Honiton, looked set to be virtually doubled to 195 homes as part of discussions about East Devon’s emerging local plan, but the housebuilder has revealed it’s looking to get even more homes there. 
Members of East Devon District Council’s strategic planning committee had been debating a proposal to increase the site from 100 to 195, and another site overseen by Taylor Wimpey north of the railway line from 100 to 115.
Those increases were set to make up for a proposal to remove three Honiton sites from the emerging local plan that would have brought 111 homes.
The local plan will identify the sites where homes can be built between now and 2042. The council needs to build around 21,000 in that time to meet government targets.
Bethan Haigh, representing Taylor Wimpey, said while both of its sites either side of the railway line had initially been allocated 100 homes each, further work suggested that land south of the railway could actually accommodate about 300 homes.
“We have been promoting the site south of the railway line for many years and with a full technical evidence base, we are preparing an outline application for 300 homes to be submitted this year,” she said.
“We have engaged with Devon County Council and they are supportive of our transport strategy, which includes signalising under the railway, extending the footway and widening sections of Northcote Hill.”
Ms Haigh added that both of its sites were outside the National Landscape boundary, meaning the land was not subject to any legal designation and so was more readily developable.
She added that the housebuilder would, nevertheless, carefully consider where to locate development within the site and would ensure that landscaping helped reduce the visual impact of the site.
The site with 115 homes on to the north of the railway has already been given planning permission, the committee heard.
There was also a boost for smaller developers, too, though.
Two potential housing sites that were set to be struck out were saved, and are likely to be brought forward by smaller housebuilders.
Altogether, a trio of sites, named Honiton 7, 12 and 13 in the emerging local plan, which are on land near the Grade II* listed St Michael’s church, had been subject to a recommendation by planning officers to have them removed.
But two of the three sites were reinstated after the strategic planning committee voted to keep them in.
Together the pair equal around 40 homes, but those could be important for smaller developers who had representatives speaking in support of the sites.
Dan Rogers, from planning consultants Bell Cornwell said he was “incredibly disappointed” that one of the three sites in particular- Honiton 7 – was being eyed for removal from the local plan.
“The site has had a long history of promotion and had previously been allocated by the committee,” he said.
“Many of the concerns seem to have arisen from the grouping of the sites [particularly those named Honiton 7 and Honiton 12], but 7 was originally a sustainable, standalone site.
“And in terms of the heritage and landscape concerns, the site is very well contained, with a mature tree belt that would screen much of the development and we could provide additional planting to mitigate any visual impact.”
Mr Rogers added that some sites in Exmouth had been retained in spite of major heritage and landscape concerns, and so could not understand why some of the Honiton sites were potentially going to be excluded for the same reasons.
Subsequently, the committee opted to retain the sites named Honiton 7 and 13, but agreed to remove Honiton 12.