Controversial Darts Business Park expansion plans set for approval

Councillors are being asked to back plans for the expansion of the business park opposite Darts Farm.

Full planning permission to create six new units at the business park between Exmouth and Exeter, to be used for offices, light industry and storage and distribution, is being recommended for approval by East Devon District Council planners officers.

The proposed development at the Dart Business Park in Clyst St George could create between 20-25 new jobs and the economic benefits to the local and wider community are considered to weigh heavily in favour of the proposal, a report to next Monday's development management committee meeting says.

A previous and larger scheme for ten units – that would have created 40-50 jobs – was rejected back in April 2019, with councillors naming 15 separate policies that the controversial scheme then contravened.

As before, the site forms part of a woodland plantation, much of which will need to be removed to accommodate the development, but planners recommend the scheme be backed.

The report says: "The current proposal has been substantially reduced from that previously considered, and this application has addressed previous technical concerns and subject to appropriate conditions, the proposal is considered to be acceptable in terms of highway safety, flood risk, drainage issues, ecology and arboricultural impact.

"Visually the proposed development would be seen against the backdrop of existing trees, and the landscape impact would be acceptable, particularly given some other landscape enhancements to the site and woodland edge proposed. There is no objection to the visual impact, loss of trees or wider impacts from the landscape officer or Parish Council.

"Overall, it is considered the revised proposals addresses concerns raised by the previous application and that the economic benefits arising from the proposed development with the creation of additional new jobs and employment opportunities, outweigh any limited harm arising from the proposal."

Despite the plan being contrary to the Clyst St George Neighbourhood Plan due to the removal of the woodland, the parish council are in support of the application. Explaining why they support the scheme, the clerk to the parish council said: "The reasons and landscaping plan put forward are compelling. The removal of trees above a high pressure gas pipeline is a matter of safety and only a few trees are to be removed to facilitate the building of the new business units.

"The replanting along the line of the gas pipeline with native shrubs will create woodland edge conditions and the new units will create jobs and allow some local businesses to grow."

The council's economic officer added: "I admit to being at a loss as to how, in the face of such compelling specific evidence of economic need, benefit and even loss through planning delay, it has not been possible to make a determination that these outweigh the loss of trees."

Recommending approval, the report concludes: "The site is well related to the existing business park and there are significant benefits in terms of job creation and economic growth associated with the proposal which weigh heavily in favour of the proposal, and the visual impact is considered to be localised and not highly detrimental.

"The loss of trees within the plantation, does not result in a level of harm that outweighs the economic benefits and the creation of a significant number of new jobs resulting from the proposal, particularly given the location and characteristics of the site."

East Devon's development management committee, when they meet virtually via Zoom on Monday, are being asked to approve the scheme.