CX/06/75 Farms Estate Committee 24 July 2006
LITTLE BICKINGTON FARM, HIGH BICKINGTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
Joint Report of the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance, IT & Trading.
Please note that the following recommendations are subject to consideration and determination by the Committee before taking effect.
Recommendations:
1. That the implications of the refusal of planning permission be noted. 2. That the Committee continues its support to developing a community based proposal at Little Bickington Farm.
1.0 Planning Decision
1.1 High Bickington Parish Council's outline planning application for the proposed development of Little Bickington Farm, owned by Devon County Council, has been turned down. The Department for Communities and Local Government announced on 10 May that the Secretary of State agreed with the Inspector's recommendation that the 'called in' application be refused.
2.0 Reason for Refusal
2.1 The proposal failed because, notwithstanding very strong community support, it represented over-development of more houses than could be met by local need and would hence give rise to unsustainable development by creating more commuters to Barnstaple.
3.0 Options
3.1 The Community Property Trust, who is leading the proposal, is currently considering its options which are:
i Challenge the decision through Judicial Review; ii Submit another application for a modified scheme; iii Re-submit the existing scheme when the new Development Framework is in place; iv Abandon the proposal altogether.
The Trust has yet to formally decide which option it will undertake but the option to submit another application within the parameters set by the Inspector's decision is the route they are starting to investigate.
4.0 Implications for Devon County Council
4.1 The original proposal was to provide the community with the social infrastructure it required, generate a capital receipt for Devon County Council and provide capital funding to contribute to the replacement of the primary school.
The proposal was to provide:
Affordable housing Replacement primary school Community and sports facilities Community woodland Health facilities Employment workshops
In the event that the proposal does not go ahead the funding contribution to the replacement school will be lost as will the opportunity to support the development of a local community as identified in the Parish Plan. In the absence of a scheme Devon County Council has the fall back position to sell the surplus farm in the normal manner. This capital receipt, in the region of £500,000, has already been deferred some five years while the original proposal was developed. A revised proposal will also take a number of years. At present the farm is let on an annual tenancy to the Community Property Trust who is managing the asset well.
5.0 Continued Support
5.1 On 25 th May the County Council agreed its ongoing support to the Trust to develop a proposal which can meet the objectives of the Community Property Trust and Devon County Council. Devon County Council officers are working with the Trust to develop a revised proposal which will meet the objectives of the Trust and the planning requirements of the Government Office for the South West.
Phil Norrey – Chief Executive
Electoral Divisions: All
Local Government Act 1972
List of Background Papers: None
Contact for Enquiries: Dan Meek, Devon Property, Chief Executives Tel: 01392 383404