North Devon housing proposal rejected on appeal

Plans for 21 new homes, on the site of a dog kennels in Holsworthy, have been rejected

A housing scheme in north Devon has been rejected on appeal.

The proposal for 21 new homes in Holsworthy was considered by a planning inspector to be in an unsuitable location because it was too close to a busy industrial estate.

The land is currently occupied by The Wag Pad dog kennels, which owner Colin Stinson has been trying to sell since 2016, along with a property on the site.

Mr Stinson's plans for a development of two-to-four bedroom homes at Dobles Lane were refused by Torridge District Council last year and were turned down again by a planning inspector following an appeal.

Housing targets

The scheme was rejected by councillors over the potential noise impact for residents, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

They said the plans were also likely to prejudice the ability of the occupiers of the existing industrial estate to operate effectively.

The inspector concluded there was not enough evidence to show the site was required to meet housing targets for the town.

Debbie Newcombe, agent for the applicant, said the site should be considered for approval given Torridge District Council's lack of a five-year land supply.

She said it constituted the redevelopment of a brownfield site and was better located to local services and employment than other new developments permitted around the area.

The kennels business was "unsustainable" and there had been little interest in anyone buying it as a going concern, she said.

Holsworthy Town Council said the site was "totally unsuitable for housing" and there were several large area already designated in the local plan which would provide “several hundred new houses for the town”.