New plans for 450 homes on greenfield site

Developers have amended the scheme after it was refused last year

A new application for 450 homes near Barnstaple has been submitted to North Devon Council after the first one was refused last year.

This time developers Wessex Strategic Ltd have included extra land for new pedestrian and cycle links after planners said the site at Bynsworthy, off the A39,  was divorced from existing services and facilities.

The proposal was refused because it was outside the defined development boundary and said to be unsustainable. At the time the council had enough sites in its local plan to meet its housing requirements for the next five years, a situation which has now changed because of new housing targets set by the government.

Wessex says in light of the ongoing housing crisis and the absence of a five year housing land supply in the North Devon and Torridge area its proposals are justified.

It has also included community and retail space in the plans this time to address the concerns over sustainability.

There have been a number of objections to the scheme from residents worried about the loss of a greenfield site and inadequate infrastructure such as roads, doctors and dentists.

Developers plan to make 135 of the homes “affordable” (30 per cent) and the site would have a range of accommodation from one bed to five bed properties.

It is anticipated that only 50% of the 25 hectare site would be developed, “creating a landscape led scheme that reflects the countryside edge setting” planning documents say.

The scheme includes a village square, woodland planting to provide a buffer zone to the A39 and orchards and allotments.

As part of the development proposals, the Brynsworthy Lane access onto the A39 will be removed and a new access created for the development with a connection through to Brynsworthy Lane for existing residents, “significantly improving safety”.

Negotiations have been ongoing between Stagecoach and the developer to provide a bespoke bus service running from the proposed development, through Roundswell, to the centre of Barnstaple with a journey time of approximately 12 minutes in each direction.

Wessex is prepared to subsidise this half hourly service service for a period of three years.

According to planning documents the site has been the subject of numerous pre-application discussions and meetings with policy and development management officers at North Devon Council.

A public exhibition on the original plans was held in Fremington Parish Hall in November 2021.

The application is for permission in principal with appearance, landscaping and layout part of a later detailed proposal.

North Devon Council will discuss the plans at a future meeting.