Planning row over former vaccination centre

Paul James represents the owners of the former vaccination centre

A former vaccination centre is in the middle of a major planning row and may become unlawful from 1 January 2024.

The 72m (236ft)-long building was originally constructed under emergency regulations in 2021 when the government needed mass vaccination centres.

East Devon District Council planning committee members voted on Tuesday to refuse permission for the building at Greendale Business Park between Exeter and Sidmouth and said it had to be removed by 31 December.

The owners of the business park have now amended their application to say the building would only be for use by the NHS and said they have no intention of taking the building down with that application still to be resolved.

Eileen Wragg is chairwoman of the East Devon District Council planning committee

The report said the building represented an "unjustified and unsustainable form of development" which is "visually intrusive and encroaches into the open countryside".

Eileen Wragg, chairwoman of the East Devon District Council planning committee, said the building went against its Local Plan, a guide for new development in the area.

She said: "We can't have expansion of commercial premises into the open countryside."

Councillors noted that a retrospective planning application was refused in 2017 for a previous building on the site which had to be taken down.

The committee heard the NHS had said it needed a “surge vaccination centre,” in the event of another pandemic, but officers felt they had not seen enough information to be sure there was no other suitable site.

The building is now empty apart from some NHS material stored there

Paul James of FWS Carter & Sons, which owns and operates Greendale Business Park, said there had been more than 500,000 vaccinations carried out at Greendale.

He said: "I'm disappointed with the reaction from the council on Tuesday.

"There's clear evidence from the NHS to support the fact the building is needed in this location.

"However, we have taken steps to address the council's concerns and have submitted a new application which would be solely for the use of the building by the NHS and we're hoping for a positive outcome on that application in the early part of next year."

The building was used as a vaccination centre from 2021

A spokesman for East Devon District Council said it would now check the latest amended application.

He said: "In the meantime, the building remains lawful until the end of the year and no decision has been taken regarding action to secure its removal after that time."

A separate walk-in vaccination centre at Greendale Farm Shop remains open.