PLANS for up to 100 homes at the historic Tidcombe Hall in Tiverton won’t be going ahead.

Councillors have unanimously rejected the development, the second time in three years a scheme for the land has been thrown out.

Objectors urged Mid Devon District Council to throw out the proposal because of fears about its impact on the nearby Grand Western Canal, concerns it could increase flood risk, and increased traffic along Tidcombe Lane.

Furthermore, many residents highlighted that only part of the proposed site, which included Tidcombe Hall’s grounds and agricultural land to the east, is listed in the council’s local plan as land that could only be built on as a contingency.

Councils must prove they have five years’ worth of housing land supply, and in Mid Devon’s case, if it couldn’t, then it has identified some of the Tidcombe Hall area for development.

This was a key contention between the council and the developer, with the authority claiming it already had the required five years of land available for housing, but the housebuilder suggesting this could be proved otherwise.

Planning officers were recommending refusal partly on the basis that the contingency land wasn’t needed to meet its housing requirements, and that the proposed development would “result in harm to the character, appearance, setting, and significant” of the Grand Western Canal conservation area and the wider locale too.

Resident Goff Welchman claimed there had been a “record number of local objections” on the council’s planning portal.

A total of 171 objections were recorded versus two comments supporting the scheme, which would have had nine dwellings in Tidcombe Hall and its outbuildings, eight new homes in the grounds, and 83 more across the wider site.

“I strongly object to this application, as the land is in an area of great natural beauty and is only [partly] a reserve development site, meaning it should only be used if sufficient other housing land is unavailable,” he said.

“And the canal is our most valuable tourism asset, and it should be protected.”

Mr Welchman fears storms are getting worse every year and that last winter, “millions of pounds of damage was caused to canals and towpaths.” He also noted the concrete and tarmac used in the development could mean the potential for flooding in the Glebelands area was “horrendous”.

Flooding fears were echoed by resident Barbara Downes, who raised concerns it could become “much worse” in areas such as Chilcot Close.

“After heavy rain, the water runs off the canal into their back gardens and then makes its way to the patio area next to the bungalows and leaves a green slime there,” she said.

“It’s a dire situation now, and with climate change bringing heavier rainfall, what would happen if there was less grass [around the Tidcombe Hall site] to absorb the rain?”

She also argued that a horse-drawn barge along the canal – a popular tourist attraction – “would suffer if the houses are built.

“The horse-drawn barge offers peace and tranquillity now, but people won’t pay to look at a building site or housing estate,” she said.

Another major issue for many objectors was the proposed closure of Tidcombe bridge to all traffic except for buses, and pedestrians and cyclists.

Some contended that would mean longer journeys for residents in the Tidcombe area to reach the A361 and other parts of Tiverton, counteracting the district’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Resident Vicky Pugh claimed closing the bridge would “sever the community”.

“There was such a shock and strong feeling when we found this aspect out, and when I contacted Devon County Council’s highways department to ask why there hadn’t been any consultation with residents, they confirmed that appropriate consultation should have been conducted,” she said.

“A full, independent, public consultation is clearly required and I ask the planning committee to include the absence of one as a reason for refusal.”

People were also worried about the safety of children at Tidcombe Primary School, as if the bridge closes, large numbers of cars might drive through residential roads for drop-off and pick-up, or perform U-turns at busy times.

But Olly Ansell, the agent acting for the applicant, stated that given the national housing crisis, approving the development made sense.

He suggested the council only had 4.2 years of housing land supply and it had only hit its annual target of the number of homes it needs to build in three of the past nine years.

“The council is using optimistic figures, and the supply of housing land is on a knife edge and could worsen without applications like this,” he said.

“This application is timely as the new government has said it wants to take a revised approach to planning and the housing crisis.”

Mr Ansell added that other benefits included affordable housing and contributions for education, health and other services, and would “secure the long-term viability of Tidcombe Hall”.

However, the planning committee sided with officers and unanimously rejected the scheme.

Planning committee chair Councillor Les Cruwys (Liberal Democrat, Tiverton Cranmore) noted that a previous scheme for up to 179 homes was refused three years ago.

He urged those working on the next iteration of Mid Devon’s local plan to reconsider the presence of the Tidcombe Hall.

“If the adjacent land is allowed to remain as a contingency, then this type of application is going to keep coming in, and I hope those dealing with the next local plan will support me in getting that land taken out, as it is outside the settlement limit and we have our 5.5 years’ worth of housing land supply,” he said.

Bradley Gerrard