PROPOSALS have been submitted for 28 homes and 12 self-build plots on the site of the derelict woollen mill in North Tawton.

The plans would see things moving finally on the site, which has stood empty for many years.

However, the proposal for the site off Fore Street, is likely to prove controversial in the community, so much so that North Tawton Town Council have called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the plans.

This will take place at North Tawton Rugby Club at 7.05pm on Thursday, October 20.

The application, 2441/22/FUL, from The Old Woollen Mill Ltd has already attracted one objection to WDBC from a nearby resident, who objected to what she said would be overdevelopment of the site. The site, has attracted a number of applications over the past decade, but developers have fought shy both of the cost of removing the substantial derelict mill buildings and the fact that the site is on the floodplain of the nearby River Taw.

‘The impact of additional dwellings in North Tawton would be devastating. North Tawton is a small market town, which has already been over developed with private dwellings,’ she said, in a written comment to WDBC.

‘The infrastructure of this town is unable to cope any further with the added stress of additional families/businesses. Due to developments, already under construction, our small school is over populated with too many children crammed into tiny classrooms.

‘The playground area is also too small, denying space for children to safely and freely play. We only support a part-time doctor’s surgery, which can’t cope with present demands and sick people have to travel several miles to the next available surgery. We have very few amenities, such as shops and over parking in the town is already problematic.’

The objector, who lives in the town, went on to say that ‘flooding was a major concern’ as the development site is within the floodplain of the River Taw.

This is a fresh application to the one submtted to WDBC exactly two years ago, when planning agents Sutherland PLS Ltd applied for listed building consent to demolish redundant Grade II listed mill buildings previously proposed for housing in North Tawton.

That application, 2687/20/LBC, sought consent to demolish all the buildings saying ‘the buildings are now in a severe state of disrepair and close to collapse’.

It continued: ‘‘The buildings suffer incursions from trespassers and it is a fear of the applicant that they may well cause injury to themselves if the buildings falls down.’.

The empty buildings were once a wool grading site and before that a mill.

Dating back in parts to 1845, have been empty for more than ten years.

In that time there have been several planning applications to redevelop it for housing, with the most recent 2915/19/FUL, proposing a total of 20 residential units, including seven townhouses and nine flats.

However, the proposal to develop the site, close to the River Taw, stalled after drawing objections from the Environment Agency over flooding.