Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notices of appointment of substitute.

Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs C A Collis who was substituted by Cllr R B Evans.

To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

Note:   A maximum of 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

All public questions referred to Application 17/00348/MOUT – Creedy Bridge, Crediton

Mr Grigg asked: Is the committee aware that the club’s currently cramped and outdated site, built over 50 years ago to house just three teams, is jeopardising our future - we are currently struggling to accommodate over 500 members and 16 teams and have problems arranging training and fixtures - but that if the Creedy Bridge application is granted we will be able to provide up-to-date facilities such as a new clubhouse with a greater number of changing rooms and more pitches and we can solve current parking problems?

Mr Newstead asked: Is the committee aware of the valuable work the club does with our growing youth membership – we have nearly 300  junior playing members in 11 junior teams, including three girls’ team,  and that if the Creedy Bridge application is granted we will be able to offer more rugby to more people – in particular younger people- in the wider community if we can provide better facilities?

Mrs Keogh stated that I am the clerk to the Upton Hellions Parish Meeting we as a group prepared some individual more specific questions. If the Committee has conducted a site visit you will be aware of the condition of the lanes surrounding the site to the south and west. These lanes allow access to the west side of Crediton including QE School and will be used rather than going all the way round via Exhibition Corner and up through the High Street. Stonewall Lane is already used as a well used short through route east/west of the town avoiding the High Street. Are you satisfied that the single track roads with few passing places will be safe for the joint use of even more two way motor traffic, cyclists and pedestrians?

Mr Kuzara - resident of Upton Hellions asked is it realistic to expect that the residents of the proposed development would use their cars as their first option to travel for any reason when the essential requirements of health and education provision, public transport and retail facility options are 2km away and nearly all the rugby members and visitors also drive to and from the new club?

Mr  Casey, resident of Upton Hellions asked is the Committee aware that 93 individuals have been motivated to write letters of objection to this plan and that all the local Councils are affected by the plan? Sandford, Upton Hellions and Crediton all object strenuously?

Ian Cole, resident of Upton Hellions stated that my question is essentially if any of the properties should today get planning permission if they should be sold to councils outside of Devon would the sales be used against the social housing allocation hopefully meant for people in Devon?

Liz Toms, resident of Sandford stated that it’s one of the objectives of new developments that there be sustainable employment alongside these developments. I’d like to ask what plans there are for employment opportunities that go alongside this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

Councillors are reminded of the requirement to declare any interest, including the type of interest, and reason for that interest at each item.

Members were reminded of the need to declare any interests when appropriate.

Members to consider whether to approve the minutes as a correct record of the meeting held on 5 September 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5 September were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

         To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make. 

The Chairman informed the meeting that the next ordinary meeting of the Committee would take place on 3^rd October, however tomorrow was the opening day of the Local Plan Examination into J27 and associated housing, the inspector would be Mr Paul Griffiths and the examination would take place at the Tiverton Hotel at 10.00am.

To consider the planning applications contained in the list.

The Committee considered the application within the plans list*.

Note:  *List previous circulated, copy attached to minutes.

a)            No 1 on the Plans List (Application 17/00348/MOUT - Residential development of up to 257 dwellings and up to 5 Gypsy and Traveller pitches;  8.6 hectares of land made available to facilitate the relocation of Crediton Rugby Club; up to 1.1 hectares of land safeguarded for the delivery of a primary school; access arrangements from A3072 (Exhibition Way); pedestrian and cycle access on to Pounds Hill/Stonewall Cross junction, Old Tiverton Road and Pedlerspool Lane; landscaping and area of public open space; and other associated infrastructure and engineering operations at Land at NGR 284185 101165 (Creedy Bridge), Crediton, Devon).

The Area Team Leader outlined the contents of the report highlighting by way of presentation the proposed area for development, the site location plan, the proposed land uses and the means of access.  He identified the areas for housing, the school site, the gypsy and traveller site, the green infrastructure and the access and movement plan which identified the proposed means of access to and from the site, vehicular and indicative locations of internal routes and principle pedestrian connections.  Plans were also shown of the proposed offsite highway works at Pound Hill and Jockey Hill to assist safe pedestrian movements to and from the site.  The transport strategy plan was produced with an additional plan highlighting the Red Hill Cross site which had received planning permission (now extant) and the closest residential properties. The presentation also included the density plan, an indicative masterplan for the site and a plan which identified the accessibility of the site to the town of Crediton.  He explained the allocation within the adopted Local Plan and the emerging Local Plan; the footprint had not changed however there were changes to the proposed land use.  He further explained the proposed Section 106 agreement and the allocation of affordable housing and provided photographs from various aspects of the site.

Providing answers to questions posed in public question time, the officer stated that with regard to the safe use of the lane network, it would be advised that the A3072 would be the preferred route for use, funding had been secured for sustainable travel.  With regard to the transport issues raised, he felt that he had covered the issues within his presentation, with regard to the affordable housing and it being sold off to other local authorities in the country, the affordable housing allocation within Mid Devon was dealt with via Devon Home Choice.  With regard to sustainable employment, the allocation within the emerging Local Plan did not include an employment site, previously featured in the adopted Local Plan, however there were employment sites within Crediton and he was in receipt of an application for new industrial units in the town. 

With regard to transport movement, Mr Sorenson (Devon County Council Highways Authority) stated that a number of passing places would be introduced on Stonewall Lane and that there would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.