General Discussion

Looks like the planners are going to throw out the plans for 270 new homes at Secmaton Lane.

Let's have a civilised debate. What are your opinions about the merits or otherwise of this planning application?

Roy,

Pasted from the paper "Teignbridge Council's planning boss Steve Robinson has recommended a proposal by Cavanna Homes and Bovis Homes for a new housing development in Secmaton Lane is refused because it does not have enough affordable homes.

I think he has a point,dont you?

I agree with you 100% re. the need for affordable housing.

Further to that, I would also have serious concerns about the location of the development - not because of NIMBYism (the proposed housing is not near me), but because of the environmental impact.

I'd also question whether or not the infrastructure of Dawlish could cope with a further 750 (approx) new residents.

I'd also question whether or not the infrastructure of Dawlish could cope with a further 750 (approx) new residents.

Good point. You see Roy we do sometimes agree.

I heard David Attenbourgh say the other day, "When I started in journalism, there was 2 billion people on this planet, today there are 6 billion." I think he said in sixty years we have had that increase and it is clearly unsustainable.
Our natural resources are being depleted at a rate of knots, never before has it been with such speed.
What has this to do with building more homes at Secmaton Lane. More homes means less land for production of food. That area was for years a viable pig farm and the planners would not let Jerry Tickle build a home on the site, funny how they are now going to allow one way or another, to build 270 homes.
The world leaders should be seriously looking at ways to reduce the world population growth and they could do that by making it harder for everyone to eke out a living, which would place less demand on the need to expand.
In my lifetime I have seen to much greed, to much consumerism and to much individulism. Are we the modern day dinoseaurs? As history suggest they starved themselves to extinction and modern man could well be following suit.
There is only profit in the short term for a few at the expense of the many. The recession that we are in, and it hasn't really hit the West Country yet, but it will as sure as someone made little apples, is proof of the short term gains for the few at the expense of the many. It is unpresidented at the number of businesses going bust it this country and other parts of the world. Advanced technology has played a major part in the demise of many.
I could go on but it is past my bed time.

Latest news from the Express & Echo:

Planners delayed making a decision on a controversial housing scheme in Dawlish after a new document was submitted by developers at the 11th hour.

Councillors sitting at Teignbridge Council's development and control committee meeting opted to postpone any decision on plans to build up to 270 homes at Secmaton Lane after developers Cavanna and Bovis submitted a viability assessment.

Development control committee chairman Howard Milton said: "It's unfortunate the document was presented late. From my personal point of view the right course of action is to defer this."

The assessment details the viability of the housing scheme taking into account jobs, schools, the environment and other surrounding infrastructure.

Negotiations are still taking place over the number of affordable dwellings included in the scheme which currently stands at 10 per cent.

Objector Andrew Goodridge said: "Dawlish is in desperate need of affordable housing, but there is also a need for some joined up planning. There needs to be proper infrastructure.

"In the last few years the council has approved a number of developments without considering the overall effect on the town or surrounding area."

Speaking on behalf of the applicants, Desmond Dunlop said they had submitted a viability assessment late on Friday.

Cllr Humphrey Clemens supported the postponement adding: "The coastal areas of the south west have the worst numbers of affordable housing provision."

Some councillors complained because the application has already been deferred once, so issues including financial contributions, affordable homes and water drainage could be resolved.

Developers want to pull down two cottages in Secmaton Lane on the 26-acre site, which is on the north-western edge of Dawlish bordered by Gatehouse Primary School and near James Plantation.

The plan would include car parking, informal play areas, recreation spaces and cycleways.

The existing pedestrian route from Elm Grove Road through the Elm Grove Plantation area to Sandy Lane would also be improved to provide an all-weather surface and a link to Kingsdown Crescent.

The application will now be heard at the next committee meeting.

i would like to see teign housing or another housing associaton get planning for this developement. the majority of peope in this area cannot afford a mortgage and have to rent. a mix of 1,2, and 3 bdroom properties is desperately needed for thoseon the waiting list living in privately rented properties. rents are out of the reach ofsome people in private rentals unless they qualify for benefit. council houses should never have been sold. im one of the lucky ones ive had an assured tenancy for over 41yrs, i could have bought my house cheaply but declined as i do not agree with the sell off. a lot of private landlords do not even live in he area, merely an investment. dave the estate will no doubt come back with an answer

PJD, I completely agree with what you've written there. And fair plays to you for sticking by your principles.

I agree. It is a tragedy that young people find it so difficult to continue to live in the town in which they have grown up. The stock of social housing has shrunk over the last three decades and "affordable units" are effectively no more than a marketing tool to persuade planning committees to pass applications.

'The amount of social housing has shrunk by a third and Right to Buy has led to the transfer of 1.7 million council homes to private ownership. Social housing is desirable because it offers safe and secure tenancy at affordable rates, but the overcrowded conditions experienced in many social homes have seen a concentration of poverty that Shelter Chief Executive Adam Sampson has described as "little more than modern slums".'

Extract from: Link

i respect what is said in that report but i dont think we have that problem here.

See the link - Build on James plantation, build on the old pig farm, bridge the public right of way which runs from Firbank to Sandy Lane playing fields, build a big roundabout, (with traffic lights of course, to increase congestion) at the junction of Carhaix and Exeter Road, then that would be nicely set up to build on the land the other side of Secmton Lane.
Planners are justifying their existance - that is what they do and to hell with the rest.

Add to the above. We can see why Tesco now wish to build on Lady's Mile and is going for a JR.

What link?

You don't really understand the planning process do you? The planners were likely to turn down the proposed development, until they had to consider the very late amendment to the plans by the developers. Hopefully they'll come to the same conclusion that they were expected to in the first place.

So what on earth are you blithering about when you say that the planners are justifying their existence?!

You don't really understand the planning process do you?
Oh yes I do, and before you go on any further with your crass remarks, it is one of the most bent departments of most local authorities.
I will not present you with the evedence as it would probably choke you to death, you never accept facts that's for sure.
With most planning applications which are a bit out of the ordinary run of the mill stuff, to get approval, it is not what you know but who you know.

How does it work? Councillors give the nod and the wink, depending on what it is for and who it is for. If your face does not fit, you will have every obsticle thrown in your way, until you give up. As I have said before, Jerry Tickle tried for years to get a bungalow built on the old pig farm, he went all the way to the House of Lords
Funny how now that planning approval has been granted on the same piece of land.

Any chance of some evidence to back up your libelous allegations?

Also... what "planning approval"?

Oh, and what link?

I started this thread asking for it to be a civilised debate. Please don't get all shouty and libelous.

Refering to the link.
I have described the various links between one application and another. James Plantation through the old pig farm, out through Carhaix Way - to Tesco. Then the next phase in the link would I presume be the other side of Secmaton Lane. Planning permission has already been applied for and turned down (for the moment) by the Jefferies (they are involved with selling off part of their land to Tesco at Ladies Mile) for 14 houses to be built close to goodridges farm in Secmaton Lane. Goodridges farm had planning permission to convert a tractor shed, (they have converted the whole of the farm). It is all documented, (browse through past planning applications)

Approval - that has to be granted for any planning application, and who approves it? When a speaker (usually a councillor, although not necessarily so) backs a planning application, when a vote is taken for or against, (depending on who the speaker was) will usually determine the way in which the vote will go. It is called scratching my back and I will scratch yours.