Planners defer decision on homes plan for site of ‘national importance’ for bats

Planners have deferred a decision over nine homes in an East Devon village over fears about a lack of information at a site dubbed of ‘national importance’ to bats.

A plan for nine homes in West Hill, a village near Ottery St Mary, had been recommended for approval by planning officers, but its fate will continue to hang in the balance.
Members of East Devon District Council’s planning committee heard that the site on land adjoining West Hayes at Eastfield, was an area of “national importance” for a range of bat species.
The committee was told that while no bat nests had been found on the proposed development site, at least 11 species had been found to use the area for foraging.
While an ecology report had been conducted by a firm commissioned by the applicant, Paul Hunt, the council’s own ecologists had not yet commented on the proposal.
That prompted calls for the decision to be deferred, because councillors felt that without the council’s formal view on the potential impact on the site’s flora and fauna, it was impossible for them to make an informed decision.
Councillor Ian Barlow (Independent, Sidmouth Town) raised fears about the lack of information from a key officer.
“I’m very concerned that we need to rely on officers for their skills, which I totally agree with, but we have not got an ecology report, and that’s especially important in what is a wooded area,” he said.
He added that the site had also not been chosen as one where development would be acceptable in the council’s emerging local plan, and so it was difficult to support the scheme.
“Previously I have supported officers’ recommendations on schemes because they are included in our emerging local plan, but this site isn’t,” he added.
Addressing the committee with concerns about the proposal, the chair of West Hill Parish Council, Frances Pullman, reiterated the point about the site being outside the built-up area boundary where development has been identified as acceptable.
“It is contrary to the existing local plan, and the site has also been rejected by the strategic planning committee in its search for development sites for the emerging local plan,” he said.
“But now the committee is being recommended to approve the scheme due to the so-called ‘tilted balance’, which essentially favours development and means that all objective planning criteria developed over years by experts has to be swept aside due to a top-down directive.”
Cllr Pullman added that the proposed number of homes on the site – four of which would be affordable – meant the density would be far greater than  neighbouring developments.
And he echoed the concerns about bats, noting that the scale of “bat assemblage is of national importance”.
“The committee has little information on this, and is the idea of a couple of bat boxes per dwelling really suitable for a site of national importance?,” he asked.
Andrew McNorton, the agent for the scheme,said “sustainable development lies at the heart” of the scheme, and that it complied with all relevant neighbourhood and local plans.
He added that the developer had also agreed to make a financial contribution to help fund more affordable homes elsewhere in the district – a requirement to make the proposal compliant with East Devon’s policies – but had also offered money towards the protection of East Devon’s pebblebed heaths.
“The trees on the site are a critical aspect,” he said. “While they are covered by an area rtree preservation order, we do seek the removal of two trees for access and one that has been severely storm-damaged, but we will plant six semi-mature trees, and a further 18 fruit trees and a wildflower habitat, as well as 260 metres of hedgerow,” he said.
He added that because the site had not been allocated within the emerging local plan, this was a “windfall gain in helping the council meet its five-year housing supply requirement”.
After speaking against the plan, the ward member Councillor Jess Bailey (Independent, West Hill & Aylesbeare) said it was “unacceptable” that a site of national importance for bats was being considered for development but there had been no comment from the council’s own ecologist.
“I cannot see how you can do anything other than defer this,” she said.
Cllr Barlow proposed that the scheme be deferred, and the planning committee backed the move unanimously.