Temporary vaccine centre given green light to stay

A building at Greendale Business Park has been used as a vaccination centre since 2021

An emergency Covid vaccination centre will remain in place in Devon.

The large green building at the edge of Greendale Business Park in East Devon was originally granted permission as a temporary structure.

However, a proposal to keep the building was approved by East Devon District Council's planning committee on 23 October.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planners have expressed concerns over the proposal but councillor Ben Ingham said it would be "bloody-minded" to refuse the scheme.

'Important contingency'

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

Those in favour of the application said the building could perform a vital function in the event of another emergency.

A spokesperson for Woodbury Parish Council said it supported the application and had not received any complaints.

Paul Cairnes, a planning barrister acting for the applicant, said: “Nobody disputes the NHS needs this facility as part of its surge protection policy."

Ingham said he had been one of the key instigators of the development boundary for Greendale Business Park to prevent it from growing too large but the centre was an "important contingency for the NHS".

'Money pit'

He said: "Are we going to take a pedantic decision and stick to the planning needs even though they might be outweighed by the needs of our communities?"

But councillor Geoff Jung said he had received complaints from residents, including neighbours of the building which could be seen from many locations.

“I originally explained to residents that this building was built under government emergency powers as a temporary building and should be returned to agricultural land following the demise of Covid requirements,” he said.

He questioned whether it was a good use of public funds to keep the centre open.

“I would hate to think I was party to this money pit,” he added.