Up to 30 homes could be built in Devon village

East Devon District Council’s planning committee approved the application

Councillors have raised concerns about plans for up to 30 new homes in an East Devon village, which have been given the go-ahead by planners.

Fears were raised about the impact of the development planned for land at Eastfield, in West Hill, near Ottery St Mary, mainly because of simultaneous schemes that could see a large number of new homes built in the village.

Some councillors said they were also worried about the capacity of sewer systems, while others said they feared flooding could get worse if all the schemes went ahead.

East Devon District Council’s planning committee approved the application by Blue Cedar Homes at a meeting on Tuesday, with details including the number of homes yet to be decided.

'Unsustainable' development

The proposal would see new houses across two sites, accessible to one another via a new footpath, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Francis Pullman, chair of West Hill Parish Council, said the development should be viewed as "unsustainable", given residents would probably need to drive to access services.

He added that the scheme could exacerbate flooding in the area, and asked whether "enough consideration has been given to the issue."

He added: “I hope the committee members are clear and convinced that the very real problem of surface water flooding already being experienced by some residents is going to be dealt with in a proper, co-ordinated manner between the two developers."

'Deal with more demand'

This scheme had already been approved by the planning committee in October last year.

However, changes by the previous government to national planning rules meant it had to be revisited by East Devon’s planning committee.

East Devon Council member Jess Bailey raised concerns about the ability of the nearby Fluxton waste water treatment plant to deal with more demand.

While a planning condition had been imposed to ensure that foul water treatment capacity was adequate before any homes were occupied, Bailey said she wanted to make sure these were the "most robust" they could be.

Simon Tofts, from Blue Cedar Homes, said a legal agreement was ready to be signed if the application was approved, securing 50% of the properties as affordable.