Approval Granted for Up to 60 New Homes in Woodbury

An east Devon village is slated for the construction of up to 60 additional homes, adding to the more than 130 already approved for development within the last year. Developer 3West has obtained authorization to construct these residences on a parcel of land situated south of Gilbrook House in Woodbury. The plans incorporate provisions for affordable housing units. This development currently stands as an outline planning application, which signifies that the precise quantity of homes and specific design elements will be determined in a future, more detailed application. This recent approval follows previous decisions in Woodbury: up to 63 homes were sanctioned across two locations off Globe Hill in September, and a prior project for up to 70 homes on farmland at the village’s southern periphery received approval in November of the preceding year. Despite objections formally submitted by the parish council regarding this most recent proposal, East Devon District Council’s planning committee cast a vote of seven to one in support of the scheme, with four councillors choosing to abstain. Presently, the Gilbrook House location lies beyond the designated zone in Woodbury where development is typically allowed. Nevertheless, East Devon’s developing local plan, which serves to pinpoint suitable sites for both housing and employment developments within the district, had previously designated this particular location as appropriate for new residential construction. Although the new local plan has not yet been formally implemented, planning officials recognized the district’s obligation to sanction a sufficient number of projects to maintain a five-year housing land supply, a key performance indicator used by the central government to evaluate local councils. A significant portion of the opposition directed at the proposal focused on concerns regarding the perceived inadequacy of safety for pedestrians using the route to and from the site via the bridge in Gilbrook. Conversely, Devon’s highways department deemed the pedestrian pathway acceptable, noting that it would represent an enhancement over the current conditions on that road, where only a white line presently delineates vehicles from pedestrians. Additionally, the scheme includes a proposal for a new pedestrian connection linking the development to Gilbrook Close, thereby providing an alternative route for individuals walking from the site to reach Woodbury’s centre.