New homes agreed for a village near Ottery St Mary has prompted opposition from some residents despite half being turned over as affordable properties.  

A bid by West Hill’s residents to block 30 new homes being built has failed after planners approved the proposals, writes local democracy reporter Bradley Gerrard. eastdevonnews.co.uk

The village near Ottery St Mary witnessed an outpouring of opposition to the Blue Cedar Homes scheme because of the potential impact on the local environment and stretched public services,

East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) planning committee this week heard that West Hill Parish Council feared the pressure the scheme’s additional residents would put on local schools, GP surgeries and other services.

“We ask where will the children go to school given that West Hill Primary School and King’s School [in Ottery St Mary]are oversubscribed, where will householders access healthcare as GP services in Ottery are overstretched, and dentists in both West Hill and Ottery are not taking new patients,” a statement from the parish said

“Where will householders work as there are no employment opportunities in the village, and where will the children play and enjoy sport given the serious lack of public open space for recreation in West Hill?”

The parish added that the open space proposed as part of the application, which is split over two plots near Eastfield and would feature 50 per cent affordable homes, would not be adequate to address the shortage of space for children in the village to play.

Marion Tate, a resident of Eastfield Gardens, which will neighbour the development, told the East Devon planning meeting she supported the raft of objections made by fellow residents.

“I have major concerns over the disruption that would be caused during construction, parking will be a huge issue with heavy vehicles and all the tradespeople, materials and contractors necessary for the build,” she said.

“Two points of access to the eastern plot will not be able to cope, these roads have no pavements and the disruption will affect the residents at Hawthorne Close and Eastfield Gardens.”

Ms Tate’s comments came on top of objections from 35 residents who attended a West Hill Parish Council meeting earlier in the year to speak against the application.

Councillors there called the public turnout at one of their meetings “unusual” and suggested it “demonstrated the importance of the issue to residents”.

Councillor Jess Bailey (Ind, West Hill & Aylesbeare) questioned how sustainable the site was in terms of its links to public transport, and said future occupants would be “heavily car dependent”.

She cited a 2011 report that questioned how potential residents on a site in the same location as the Blue Cedar scheme could use or access sustainable means of transport.

“The inspector stated that other than the shop and the primary school, there were few other facilities within convenient walking distance,” she said.

“And with the closest bus stop roughly 1.5km away, this will discourage bus use, while the frequency and timings of services to Exeter and Honiton are such that it is unlikely to be an attractive option for many people.

“I believe it’s wrong that a site that was deemed unsustainable in 2011 is now deemed sustainable.”

Des Dunlop of D2 Planning, the developer’s agent, said it was “worth noting that this site has been identified for residential development in the emerging draft local plan.”

“The applicant has worked diligently with officers and statutory consultees prior to submission and during its determination, and the detailed assessment of the proposal by officers shows no objections from statutory consultees in regards to highways, flooding, landscape, ecology or impact on local services,” he said.

Mr Dunlop added that while some residents had expressed concerns about increased flooding risks in the area due to the development, he said the drainage system that would be put in place would mean water run-off rates would be lower than if the site remained undeveloped.

Following its debate, the planning committee opted to approve the scheme, but with conditions including for a footpath to be built connecting to adjacent land that could be developed in the future.

Mr Dunlop queried this stipulation, claiming it was pre-empting a decision on another site that had not yet appeared before the planning committee, but said his client “had no objection in principle” to providing the requested footpath.

The cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a derelict hotel on the outskirts of Seaton remains “unknown” though police are treating the incident as arson. Fire crews were still at the scene in the Harepath Hill area until 7pm last night (October 24).

Elliot Ball www.devonlive.com

Reports of the fire first emerged at around 4.19pm on Monday (October 23) and a road closure was immediately put in place. Multiple fire engines rushed to the scene as crews continued to battle the flames for more than 24 hours.

In a fresh update issued to DevonLive, a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said the cause of the blaze was still “unknown” and would be determined at a later date once a fire investigation was completed. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police added that officers were investigating the “suspicious fire” and were appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Currently the cause of the fire is unknown and will be determined by the fire investigation. One crew remained on scene yesterday until 7pm last night damping down potential hotspots.”

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police added: “Police are investigating a suspicious fire within an abandoned building in Seaton on 23 October. Officers were called at 4.50pm by the fire service who were tackling the fire at the former Seaton Heights Hotel on Harepath Hill.

“The building sustained serious damage. No injuries were reported. The A3052 was closed in both directions for several hours between Harepath Hill and Seaton Down Hill.

“Police are treating the incident as arson and appealing to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area at the time to contact them online or by telephone on 101, quoting crime reference 50230282022.”

Pictures were able to capture the moment flames and smoke billowed from the former holiday camp, Seaton Heights. New pictures show the devastation of the blaze which destroyed the abandoned building.

While part of the structure is still standing, much of the building has been destroyed in the flames. Once a popular holiday resort, the hotel complex has been left empty and dilapidated since its closure in 2005.

In May 2015, permission was granted for the construction of a 12-bedroom hotel, 38 holiday units and a restaurant and leisure complex – but the scheme never got under way.

The former Seaton Heights hotel and apartments boast stunning views over the East Devon Jurassic coast and has long been earmarked for development. But the derelict site has been the subject of several planning applications, all of which have been refused, withdrawn or fallen through after received permission.

Read more about Seaton Heights here.

A neighbour clash in East Devon has resulted in the district council being urged to step in, ‘use its teeth’, and help sort out a debt dispute between Colyton and Colyford.

The chair of newly-formed Colyford Parish Council has urged the district council to “use its teeth” in an ongoing spat with neighbouring Colyton, writes local democracy reporter Bradley Gerrard.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

Ian Priestley, chair of the parish that was legally established in April, addressed East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet meeting to plea for assistance in its ongoing dispute with Colyton.

A reorganisation order compelled Colyton to pay Colyford £11,202 for highways safety projects and advance rental income when the new parish council was formed, but Mr Priestley said the money still hadn’t been paid.

Colyton Parish Council submitted a legal challenge about the process that led to the creation of Colyford and the conditions linked to it, but its claim for a judicial review is yet to be decided by a court.

“Cabinet, you have teeth, can you please use them,” Mr Priestley pleaded with East Devon councillors.

“EDDC should be pulling out all the stops to assist a new council, not putting us into a position of potential failure.”

Mr Priestley added that Colyton had “voted to resist” the reorganisation order, which was issued by East Devon District Council and approved by the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Minutes from a meeting of Colyton Parish Council on Monday, September 11 acknowledge that advice given to the council by third parties suggested the reorganisation order “should be followed until a court order reverses it”.

It added that rental income in relation to Stafford Cross, which was transferred to Colyford as part of the reorganisation, should be paid to the new parish.

“[But] the council is still waiting to hear back from the courts regarding the potential judicial review,” the minutes of Colyton’s meeting said.

The minutes added that the chairman would “pen a letter to EDDC stating that Colyton do not believe that the money should go to Colyford whilst there is a legal challenge”, but if a judicial review went in Colyford’s favour, then Colyton would transfer the money.

Mr Priestley asked East Devon to pay Colyford the £11,202 it was owed, and seek to recoup that money itself from Colyton, rather than Colyford receiving funds from EDDC in advance.

“Another advance of our precept would just see us chasing our tails for the foreseeable future,” Mr Priestley added.

Mr Priestley noted that rent for Stafford Cross had now been paid to it by tenants on the land, but that the reduced sum it received from EDDC when the new parish was being set up – £750 compared to a previously discussed £5,000 – meant its resources were tight.

Councillor Sarah Jackson (Independent, Axminster) promised to convene a meeting with Mr Priestley and Melanie Wellman, EDDC’s monitoring officer.

“I am disappointed the reorganisation order has not been complied with and we have not heard back yet from the courts in relation to a judicial review,” she said.

East Devon council leader Paul Arnott had passed his responsibility for chairing the cabinet meeting for this discussion because of a conflict of interest, notably his position on Colyton Parish Council.

He said he “did not agree” with the position being taken by Colyton, and was “extremely concerned” about the logjam in the court system, which could mean a lengthy wait before a judicial review was completed.

“I have genuinely considered whether I should resign from Colyton to serve Colyford, but I think some people in Colyton might find that desirable, so I’m not going to,” he said.

A spokesperson for Colyton Parish Council said the parish could not comment because of the forthcoming judicial review.