Officers support Lympstone homes

District planning officers are still saying a proposed housing development in Lympstone should go ahead, despite other sites being suggested by the parish.

A ruling on the scheme to build 15 homes – 10 affordable – north of Glebelands was deferred by district councillors in November, after Councillor Ben Ingham asked them to wait for other, more favourable sites to be put forward from Lympstone Parish Council’s neighbourhood plan.

Five sites have now been suggested – The Old Rectory in Burgmann’s Hill, two sites in Jackson Meadow, land north of Long Meadow Road and Lympstone Nurseries.

However, EDDC officers say that not all of these sites have been formally submitted for development and the others may not deliver as many affordable homes as are needed in the village.

They also say that concerns about the Glebelands site being outside the village development boundary may not stand up if considered on appeal by a planning inspector.

Therefore, as in November, officers have recommended to the council’s development management committee that the scheme should go ahead.

This is despite objectors to the scheme saying the site is too far from the village centre, a proposed road access would be dangerous, and neighbours’ privacy would be affected.

The development management committee will consider the plan at its meeting on January 8.