Totnes Atmos homes: Council 'should still purchase site'

The Dairy Crest site has remained unused since it was closed in 2007

A council should still compulsorily purchase a derelict industrial site to allow affordable homes in a Devon town, a community group says.

The Totnes Community Development Society (TCDS) planned to buy the former dairy site to build about 100 homes, but it was sold to a private developer in January 2021.

TCDS said it "belongs to the town".

South Hams District Council said a planning application has been submitted and it could not comment further.

The former Dairy Crest site closed in 2007 and the TCDS launched its Atmos project in 2014.

The Atmos plans included revamping the site's Grade 2-listed pumping house

It proposed to buy the site and build 99 homes, including 62 affordable homes and 37 homes for older people.

But the site was sold for £1.35m to Essex firm Fastglobe, which wants to build a spa, holiday lodges and 25 homes.

Planning rules do not require communities to have first refusal, meaning such assets can be sold to the highest bidder.

ATMOS TIMELINE

• 2007: Dairy Crest Group closes site

• 2012: Totnes Community Development Society (TCDS) created

• 2014: TCDS launches Atmos project to develop the site

• 2016: Local referendum approves TCDS plans

• 2019 Saputo buys Dairy Crest Group

• 2021: Saputo sells the site to Fastglobe

• 2022: TCDS renews calls for a local council compulsory purchase of the site

Frances Northrop, of the TCDS, said: "Ideally, they [Fastglobe] would recognise that, actually, it's not theirs to develop.

"It belongs to the town, we know what we're doing and they should sell it to us.

"If that doesn't happen, we are asking South Hams District Council to compulsory purchase the site."

A spokesperson for the council, said: "The nature and extent of development proposed is the choice of the applicant.

"The council, as the local planning authority, will consider any application regarding the development plan and other material considerations, required by law.

"A planning application has been submitted to the council for consideration, it would therefore not be appropriate to make any specific comment at this time."

Councillors previously said the authority was "keen to see the development of the site" but would not consider a compulsory purchase.

Fastglobe did not comment on the latest call, but previously said the purchase came "more than 12 years after Totnes residents first initiated their community ownership project which has struggled to progress".