FIVE eco-friendly homes are to be built in Mid Devon on the grounds of a former agricultural building.

Linscombe Farm at Sandford, near Crediton, originally had permission for three "mansion style" properties to replace farm structures including a barn and former polytunnels.

But in the new proposal, applicant Iain Russell claimed the newly planned homes would each use 75 per cent less energy than the three standard spec properties and provide more habitat space for wildlife. Each will also have heat pumps and electric car charging points.

Mr Russell told the district council’s planning committee: “We aim to deliver housing with minimal energy requirements using sustainable materials, plus regeneration of native habitats on and surrounding our house site. We want to build homes for nature as well as people.”

And despite the planning officer’s report recommending refusal, for reasons including the new application for two more homes not being any better than the previous one, councillors saw the environmental benefits of the scheme and approved it.

Local ward member Councillor Margaret Squires (Conservative, Sandford and Creedy) told the committee the site is empty except for a shed which is being knocked down and that it also used to be a quarry.

“It’s not a nice green area and if it was in town you would say it’s a brownfield site,” she said.

Asking members to visit the site if necessary, Cllr Squires added: “I think now with COP26 going on…we should be looking at sustainable things for the planet going forward.”

Councillor Les Cruwys (Lib Dem, Cranmore) said: “The three previous (homes) were bigger properties built in a conventional way with conventional materials and all that goes with it. These people are trying to give us some sort of example that hopefully we could use in the future with how future properties should be built.

“We have our carbon neutral targets for 2030 but housing-wise, planning-wise, we aren’t making big steps towards it.

"I think to have a somewhat unique example of housing down the road that we could direct people to to say ‘this is what you should be doing, there is also the latest gizmos to make your properties environmentally friendly’ – perhaps some of our bigger developers might take a heed and implement some of the procedures into the properties they’re building.”

Supporting approval, Cllr Cruwys added: “I quite like it. I think it’s a nice little environment for it and probably a good example.”

The committee backed approval by six votes to one, deciding it is “a suitable use of the land, an imaginative and eco-friendly development which should be encouraged.” One member abstained.

Ollie Heptinstall

LDRS