New homes approved near Exeter Science Park

There will also be 6,000 square metres of office space

An area just off the A30 close to Exeter Science Park will soon have 44 new homes and 6,000 square metres of office space after East Devon District Council gave approval at a planning committee on Tuesday [31 January].

Half of the homes off Honiton Road will be affordable and all residents will be able to enjoy green space built into the design.

Cllr Richard Lawrence (Conservative, Whimple and Rockbeare) backed the proposal. “What a refreshing application,” he said. “Fifty per cent affordable housing, a village green. I don’t know what else they can do to make this application better.”

But Cllr Mike Howe (Conservative, Clyst Valley) highlighted the sewage issues residents have been experiencing. He warned that, despite the quality of the application, it will only make that problem worse.

“Sewage treatment plants and the sewage stream run right into the River Clyst, and consequently right into the River Exe,” he explained, before calling on South West Water to help reduce the sewage in the area.

“South West Water are sticking their head in the sand and not doing their duty,” added Cllr Howe. “It is quite simple. We have factual evidence of sewage outflows into streets, blocking people’s toilets for weeks on end when they can’t have any facilities in the house to the extent where we have people with porta-potties now.”

Cllr Steve Gazzard backed Cllr Howe and asked: “Can they [South West Water] pull their fingers out and come back with some way that they’re going to try and resolve the situation for residents?”

Cllr Olly Davey (Green, Exmouth Town) also supported the application, but wanted future plans to feature more traffic control measures.

“Village greens were not designed for large amounts of traffic,” said Cllr Davey. “And knowing the frequency with which people use motor vehicles, I suspect that at any given moment, there’s going to be a car moving around this site.

“Any traffic coming in off the A30 is going to travel up all the way past that green and park at the top. The amenity of the green is very much reduced by having traffic going past it. I’m not against this development, but I do feel that in future, we should be designing in low-traffic neighbourhoods.”

Both developments, for the housing and commercial properties, were approved.