Employment boost for Dartington

Nine new business units approved

NineAn industrial estate at Dartington is to get nine new business units despite concerns about overdevelopment and flooding.

A company called Devon and Cornwall Farmers received planning permisison in principle in 2019 and has already built three of the properties at Beacon Park in the South Hams’ town.

The third phase of nine units and 161 parking spaces came before district council planners to consider details including design, landscaping, access roads and drainage.

Members heard that Dartington Parish Council opposed the plans, claiming the floor space exceeded that in the outline consent by almost 40 per cent and that it would impact local residents and the road network, particularly on back lanes where people walked.

The parish council said the business park generated significant amounts of traffic and “huge” lorries entered it from the A385 in both directions. They  recommended safeguards to stop vehicles using it as a rat run.

Nine people submitted letters of support saying the scheme would bring jobs to Totnes and benefit the residents of new housing in Dartington.

South Hams District Council’s development management committee member Cllr Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington and Staverton) said it felt like “planning creep.”

She said more concrete and buildings increased flood risk at Bidwell Brook which is already under pressure from new development.

Councillors were told that the total floor area of all 12 units was 3,000 square metres below that previously allocated in the joint local plan.

But Cllr Hodgson said it was allocated “quite wildly” and there were many concerns about the scale of development.

Cllr Guy Pannell (Lib Dem, South Brent) said the committee had little option but to approve the plans as they already had permission in principle, but he was “ deeply disappointed” the scheme had changed to a “more monolithic” design with units more broken up and less soft landscaping than previously proposed.

Cllr Bernard Taylor (Con, Charterlands) supported the plans for the site which is less than a mile away from a major new housing development.

“Should we be allowing people to get on the roads and travel to Plymouth when we have an already-developed site to provide some employment for all the new residents? It will help our climate emergency.”

Committee members heard that Devon and Cornwall Farmers, which says it has a waiting list of businesses wanting to move in, had already provided £6,000 towards improving road safety and that a ‘wildlife corridor’ surrounding the business units would be a green space for people in Dartington to enjoy.

Conditions to the planning consent prevent refrigeration units operating on lorries between 11pm and 7pm and that lorries may not deliver to or dispatch from the site between the same times.

Officers said they didn’t think much traffic would use Wrenford Lane as it is windy and narrow, and restriction signs for HGVs would not be justified.