Agenda item

The Principal Planning Officer presented the application to the Committee. She provided an update regarding a letter of comment received on behalf of the promoter of the residential element at Peamore in emerging local plan allocation EE2. This letter had come in after publication of the agenda.  Neither the landowner nor the promoter of this site support the use of the residential land as a potential location for the facility, they consider the site to be unsuitable for such a facility in physical and environmental terms and it would reduce residential yield and potentially impact on site viability.  They have confirmed that their representation relates only to the land within the policy EE2 allocation outside West Exe Business Park and its associated allocation.

The Chair read out comments from the Public Speaker, Objector who was unable to attend due to a traffic incident on the morning of the committee. It raised the following points:

·       Loss of housing location

·       Does not conform with Local Plan

Public Speaker Supporter – Spoke on:

·       Low value area

·       Obscured view

·       Landscape proposal reduces visual impact

·       Biodiversity aids

Second Public Speaker, Supporter – Spoke on:

·       Weight must be given to proposed location

·       The applicant site review undertaken for alternate sites did not support their use

·       Environmental concerns of using Peamore site

·       Marsh Barton site is in flood plain

·       South West Exeter Housing needs infrastructure

·       Impact would not cause unacceptable harm

·       Decarbonisation of electricity network

Comments from Councillors during the discussion included:

·       Impact on the landscape

·       Powerlines could have gone underground

·       Size of site larger than expected

·       Possibility of using Peamore site

·       Site could be used for housing supply

·       Application is opposed by parish council

·       Demolition of community buildings

·       No loss of amenity

·       Costs

·       Loss of view isn’t usually a reason for refusal

·       Need for electric supply

·       Importance of input from bodies

·       Doesn’t provide enhancement to entrance to Exeter

·       Noise concerns

In response to the discussion Officers clarified the following:

·       Members should not consider the use of other sites when determining this specific application

·       The secretary of state declined to call the application in

It was proposed by Councillor Sanders and seconded by Councillor Parrott that permission be refused for the reasons set out in the report.

A vote was taken. The result was unanimously in favour of refusal.

Resolved

That permission be refused for the following reason:

1.     The application site currently consists of a mix of uses and buildings and has an industrial/agricultural appearance within a rural location currently undergoing significant planned change as part of the South West of Exeter Urban Extension. The application site is identified within the South West Exeter Development Framework (2014) as Development Plan Area E1 for Mixed Use development and Community Facilities and has outline planning permission granted for such a development. Whilst the need for electricity infrastructure to serve the new dwellings at South West Exeter is acknowledged it is considered that the proposed development on the application site would result in a large, overbearing and alien structure, which by its nature is uninviting and hostile, within the landscape immediately adjacent to both existing and proposed residential properties. Whilst some attempt has been made to mitigate the impact, the depth of the landscape buffer proposed is not considered sufficient to screen a development of the size and nature proposed in such close proximity to the existing dwellings. The proposed development would not be consistent with the comprehensive approach to development as set out in policy SWE1 and the South West Exeter Development Framework and would result in significant harm to the character and appearance of the area and the amenity of both existing and future residents. The proposed development is therefore contrary to policies S1, S2 and SWE1 of the Teignbridge Local Plan 2013-2033 and the NPPF.