A PROPERTY developer is appealing to the Planning Inspectorate after plans for a controversial scheme for up to 100 homes in Tiverton were thrown out.

The proposed scheme at Tidcombe Hall sparked around 170 letters of objection when Mid Devon District Council considered it last August, but now Tidcombe Holdings wants that decision overturned.

A previous, larger scheme for up to 179 homes was rejected in 2021.

Objectors urged the council to turn down the proposal last year because of fears about its impact on the nearby Grand Western Canal, concerns it could increase flood risk, and worries about the impact of increased traffic along Tidcombe Lane.

Many residents pointed out that only part of the proposed site, which includes Tidcombe Hall’s grounds and agricultural land to the east, is included in the council’s local plan, and even then, it is designated as an area that can 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 potential development.

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

At last year’s planning meeting, only two comments supported the scheme for nine dwellings in Tidcombe Hall and its outbuildings, eight new homes in the grounds, and around 83 more across the site.

Reacting to the lodging of the appeal, resident Goff Welchman said: “Their proposal would cause traffic chaos throughout the area, due to the intended closure of Tidcombe Bridge.

“Just imagine all the local cars, plus delivery trucks, having to make long detours past Tidcombe School, and along narrow residential roads lined with parked cars.

“Accidents are bound to happen, yet Devon County Council’s highways department claimed the proposed development would pose no safety issues, even though they then instituted a 20 mph limit in the area, citing its need on safety grounds.”

This issue was echoed by resident Vicky Pugh in her initial objections when she claimed closing the bridge would “sever the community” of Tidcombe.

She continued: “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.”

Another concern is about safety of children at Tidcombe Primary School, because if the bridge closes, large numbers of vehicle would drive through nearby residential roads for drop-off and pick-up, and perform U-turns at busy times, rather than simply crossing the canal on the bridge as they do now.

But Olly Ansell, the agent for the applicant, stated at last year’s planning meeting that given the national housing crisis, approving the development made sense.

He suggested the council had just over four years of housing land supply at the time, 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 told the committee.

“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”.

Some objectors criticised the name being used by the applicant, claiming it suggests the company is local when it isn’t.

Companies House filings indicate that the applicant Tidcombe Holdings has three current shareholders, all of which are companies.

These are Jersey-based Northdown Limited, Poole-based Southern Country Parks Limited, and Yeovil-based Manual Investing Limited.

The appeal is set to begin on Tuesday, May 20 and if a decision isn’t reached by the end of that week, then it will reconvene two weeks later for up to three days.

Objectors have until Thursday, February 20 to make any additional comments. However, original objections will be forwarded to the inspector as part of the process.

Bradley Gerrard