FIVE homes, deemed to be affordable, are to be built at Sandford near Crediton.

Several garages will be demolished to make way for a two-story block of one-bedroom flats after permission was granted to Zed Pods Limited by Mid Devon District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, April 5.

The homes will be “super-insulated” and will have triple-glazed windows, which the applicant says will help cut energy bills.

However, one resident suggested parking is an historic issue in Sandford, and rued the reduction in spaces after the garages are demolished.

Mid Devon’s housing team has offered a new garage to residents who will lose theirs.

Conservative Cllr Margaret Squires was also concerned about the loss of parking, while Liberal Democrat colleague Cllr Ben Holdman said there is “not an awful lot of car parking” in the Croft’s Estate.

The development will have eight unallocated parking spaces.

The applicant identified the need for affordable homes, but while Green member Cllr Elizabeth Lloyd agreed in a statement read out at the meeting, she said that communication with existing residents about the application had been poor.

She too raised the issue of parking.

However, the development was not seen as overly controversial by the committee, and all but one member agreed to approve the application.

Rob Kershaw

LDRS