Broadclyst Parish Council summary of initial conversation with Grassroots Planning. 

Further to the leaflet drop to many Broadclyst properties over the weekend, I write to let you know what Broadclyst Parish Council is doing in relation to the proposed development.

Cllr Henry Massey and I met with LVA / Grassroots Planning on Friday 15^th November and we raised and discussed the following concerns / requests: 

1. Highways: to introduce traffic calming along the Whimple Road (village gateway, chicanes / priority / pinch points, raised tables / different road surface) to slow traffic, given inevitably there will be increased foot and cycle traffic between the village and the New Inn. 

2. Highways: to extend and reduce the current speed limit 20mph out past the New Inn. 

3. Highways: request for street lighting between village and pub. 

4. Highways:  for a separate entrance off the Whimple Road into employment area to prevent residents being disturbed by work-related traffic. 

5. Pedestrian movement: for a new foot/cycle link only (not a road) from westernmost parcel out onto Maple Road to give safe pavement route to the village centre, and keeping pedestrians / children on bikes off Green Tree Lane.

6. Habitat: for the retention of trees /hedgerows, and protection of habitat (site surveys have found dormice, bats, and newts). 

7. For dwellings to be built to the Future Homes standard / Passivhaus principles of build. Provision of M4(2) and M4(3) homes (accessible / adaptable, and wheelchair-friendly). 

8. For dwellings to be built and delivered in line with the Design Code in the Neighbourhood Plan. 

9. Cycle / bin storage for all properties. 

10. Sustainable heating - air source & solar.

11. Provision of a youth football pitch (9v9) on open space to the north of the site. 

12. For there not to be a Management Company, but for open space, play provision, and grass football pitch to be transferred to the parish council with a commuted sum so as not to negatively impact the parish budget. 

13. For there to be direct financial contribution to Pinhoe & Broadclyst Surgery, Broadclyst Community Primary, and Clyst Vale Community College, rather than (or as well as) direct Section 106 off-site contributions to a central ‘pot’. It is recognised that the impact of development on local healthcare and education provisions is of great concern to the parish council and to our local residents.

Highways ‘Masterplan’
For the further discussion of highways matters, we proposed a joint working party along with the Heathfield site developers, EDDCs Green Infrastructure Officer, and the Killerton estate so we can “masterplan” for highways matters to the northeast of the village. There is a wider aspiration from Killerton to downgrade Elbury Lane to a Quiet Lane which might part-fund improvements to Elbury crossroads. We also need to slow down incoming traffic as it approaches / passes the pony field and on towards Bustard Hill. 

Broadclyst Neighbourhood Plan
The whole of the Winter Gardens site was initially proposed in the Broadclyst Neighbourhood Plan (NP) Call For Sites; however, it was deemed to be too large to be delivered through a NP and so did not progress through the Broadclyst NP.
The Broadclyst NP does allocate part of the Winter Gardens site to provide flexible commercial space for Offices (Use Class B1 (a) and Light industrial uses (Use Class E(g)(iii).
The most recently ‘Made” Plan is the Development Plan Document for an area. The Broadclyst NP continues to have legislative weight but will need to be updated to reflect changes in the new Local Plan once it is ‘Made’ to ensure our NP is the most recent planning policy document for our parish. 

We generally felt that LVA was receptive to our suggestions; how many make it through to the final cut is anybody’s guess. As a Parish Council, we have no decision-making power, but we do have influence – both as a body corporate and through our Neighbourhood Plan.

Making representations
We urge you to engage with the survey and to make your points clearly. As an allocation in the Local Plan for which East Devon struggling to find housing numbers, coupled with the fact this site is considered ‘sustainable’, development is highly likely to go ahead. Therefore, especially for those who are against the proposals, you may wish to consider a two-pronged approach in your responses: firstly, reasons why you do not think it should go ahead, but secondly, what mitigations you feel necessary if it does go ahead.

Grassroots Planning has agreed to attend a parish council meeting in February/March 2025 to present a summary of representations made through the survey and to show how proposals respond to your concerns/requests.

Angie Hurren BEM
Fellow SLCC.
Broadclyst Clerk & RFO.
18.11.2024