PLANS to expand Greendale Business Park in Woodbury Salterton have been backed by East Devon Council. Property developers FWS Carter and Sons Ltd submitted an application for outline planning permission to the local authority earlier this year wanting to

PLANS to expand Greendale Business Park in Woodbury Salterton have been backed by East Devon Council.

Property developers FWS Carter and Sons Ltd submitted an application for outline planning permission to the local authority earlier this year wanting to expand land to the west of the park.

The application, which failed to receive the support of Woodbury Parish Council last July, was approved subject to conditions, at an EDDC Development Management Committee meeting held last Tuesday, October 20.

The proposed development would provide 6.2 hectares of employment land.

Matt Carter, of Carter and Sons, said because the plans were backed, it would enable them to attract more local businesses.

There were 37 letters of objection subjected to the EDDC yet not one councillor on the committee voted against the plans last Tuesday.

Reasons for the representations included an encroachment to the countryside; development would be detrimental to the amenity value of the area and an increase in traffic.

Matt said: "We have addressed all the landscaping issues and linked the site with public transport.

"We have improved the entrance on White Cross Road in order to monitor who uses the back entrance to stop HGVs using lanes into the village. All HGVs will now come into the main entrance.

"Throughout this application process we have held public consultations with the village and posted letters to all the villagers inviting them to look at the plans.

"The Carter family are pleased to have been engaged throughout the application process with the council and we've worked positively together.

"As owners we are pleased that the council is taking a positive stance towards supporting employment.

Councillor Graham Gerdes, who attended the meeting to represent Woodbury Parish Council, said: "We were disappointed with the decision.

"We felt that when we saw the original papers that the development was too large for its proximity to Woodbury Salterton. In addition to that, the increase of traffic will be too much.

"It is desirable to create more jobs but we do not feel there is need for more blue collar jobs in Woodbury and Woodbury Salterton.

"Our understanding is that there is already substantial employment opportunities in other business parks in the area.