A FORMER animal rescue centre in Mid Devon will be turned into eight homes after planners overrode recommendations for the scheme to be rejected.

Planning officers had ruled that the Chilton Gate Kennels in Bickleigh shouldn’t be turned into living accommodation because the buildings did not “positively contribute to the area’s rural character”.

And because of the rural location, the plans also contravened other policies in the officers’ eyes, notably that housing shouldn’t be built in a countryside location unless special circumstances prevailed.

But most members of the district council’s planning committee pointed out that officers had conceded that while the buildings might not add much to the look of Mid Devon’s countryside, they “are not necessarily harmful” to it either.

“I found it very difficult to find the negative part in this report,” said Cllr Natalia Letch (Liberal Democrat, Upper Yeo and Taw).

“There is no change to the scale or massing of the site and therefore it is not expected that there will be an increased harm to the character of the area.

“Plus, it is set back from the main road, and there are no significant concerns in respect of visual amenity, and there are no concerns about neighbours being overlooked.”

Cllr Letch said she had driven along the road near the former rescue centre and “never realised the buildings were there”, and she didn’t believe turning them into homes would cause major issues.

The meeting heard that neighbours supported the application, and nobody objected.

A spokesperson for the applicant said he was “not quite sure why officers had taken a negative view” about the appearance of the buildings, and used that as a key basis of their recommendation to object to the scheme.

He added that the application abided by most of the criteria relating to conversion of rural buildings and so felt it should be recommended for approval.

“The application proposes eight modest, well-insulated, energy-efficient homes near a rural school and services,” he said.

“The neighbours have children who would love to buy a house here, and while they are not formally affordable, they won’t be £1 million barn conversions as they will be sensible properties for local people.”

Cllr Rhys Roberts (Conservative, Cadbury), whose ward the application sits in, said he had been invited to the site by the developer, Press Properties, after they had expressed “frustrations” about their discussions with planning officers.

“I hadn’t been to the site for some years prior to its closure, and I have no doubt the site has deteriorated considerably and is only going to decay further,” he said.

He acknowledged the position officers had taken, but added that he too was left with a “sense of frustration as in almost all areas it complies perfectly well” with planning policies.

Cllr Letch said she felt the site would simply head into “disrepair” and so recommended the scheme be approved.

Ten members of the planning committee voted in favour of the scheme, and added a condition that the developer would contribute towards funding school transport in the area.

Bradley Gerrard

LDRS