Farm fields landfill recommended for rejection

Planning officers recommend rejecting plans for a landfill site near Kennford on the outskirts of Exeter

A highly controversial plan to create a landfill site on fields in Devon has been recommended for refusal.

The plans for fields near Kennford on the outskirts of Exeter will be up for discussion at a Devon County Council meeting on Wednesday.

The site is owned by the Taverner family who also own the Orange Elephant Ice Cream company with its landmark orange elephant by the side of the A38 Devon Expressway near the proposed landfill site.

The developer behind the plans, BT Jenkins, said the scheme would provide "a sensitive, sustainable and sensible option".

'Incongruous features'

The county planning manager said in a report the creation of a landfill site for inert building waste would have an "unacceptable impact" on the area.

In the report, to be considered by the council's Development Management Committee, they said: "The scale, design and nature of the proposals would result in significant adverse effects on the distinctive agricultural character and scenic quality of the area."

BT Jenkins has produced plans to restore the site once it has been used for landfill but the report said the results would "appear as incongruous features in the local landscape".

The county planning manager also said the development would "detract from, and fail to achieve any enhancement to, the amenity and safety of users of the network of public rights of way".

The Exeter Cycling Campaign, the Exeter and District Ramblers and hundreds of members of the public have objected to the plans.

The developer BT Jenkins says this field has previously been used for landfill and restored to productive farmland

Russell Lowton at BT Jenkins said the latest plans were "significantly different" from plans that were withdrawn in 2022 and said the scheme would "prevent soil from local developments being transported many miles across the region".

He said: "By fully restoring these fields to productive Devon farmland, including planting new hedges and trees and creating a new pond, we believe our application will provide the county with a sensitive, sustainable and sensible option to dispose of inert soil."

Mr Lowton said gates and fencing would "ensure the very small number of people who use footpaths around the site can continue to enjoy them".

He added: "We know this will be a tricky decision for councillors but we call on them to show leadership and make this decision for the benefit of Devon."

The application is for three phases of landfilling over a period of about 10 years.

The Development Management Committee is due to meet at 14:00 GMT at County Hall on Wednesday.