Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
Plans for up to 700 homes on the outskirts of Exmouth are to be discussed at a public meeting, as concerns continue to be raised about the proposed development.
The St John’s site, known as Exmo_20, has been included in East Devon District Council’s draft Local Plan, which identifies locations where new homes and employment development could take place.
Campaigners opposing the allocation say there are unresolved concerns about access, the impact on the nearby Pebblebed Heaths and the setting of the Grade II-listed St John in the Wilderness Church.
The meeting has been organised by Exmouth and Exeter East MP David Reed and will take place at Exmouth Town Hall on Thursday, 24th September.
Mr Reed said he had received a “significant amount of correspondence” about the proposals and wanted to give residents an opportunity to raise their concerns and take part in a town hall-style discussion.
The Stop Exmo_20 campaign group is encouraging people to attend.
One of the main issues raised by campaigners is the site’s access.
Exmo_20 initially failed the council’s Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) because of concerns that it would only be accessible from St John’s Road.
The council has since investigated alternative access arrangements.
Minutes of a strategic planning committee meeting in July said that, following a decision in September 2024 to explore alternative access, further work had been carried out on possible connections from both the B3179 and St John’s Road.
The council said the additional assessment showed the site could be developed and that further discussions involving council officers, the site’s promoters and Devon County Council as the highway authority concluded that the allocation could be delivered.
The revised proposal includes a road of about 400 metres linking the development to the B3179, which runs alongside the Pebblebed Heaths.
The allocation states that there should be no development along the proposed access road. However, campaigners have questioned how the road itself should be treated, given its location close to the environmentally important heathland.
The Pebblebed Heaths are subject to a number of environmental designations, and concerns about the potential effects of development in the area have formed part of the planning debate.
There are also heritage concerns because of the proximity of the proposed development to St John in the Wilderness Church.
Campaigners argue that the site’s original failure of the HELAA assessment should have prevented it from progressing, even though alternative access arrangements have since been investigated.
An earlier council assessment of sites put forward during its 2021 “call for sites” described Exmo_20 as “probably unachievable” in relation to housing.
It referred to the site’s reliance on the proposed Dinan Way extension and junction improvements, as well as the need for third-party land.
The assessment also identified the site’s proximity to the Pebblebed Heaths and a minerals objection, while suggesting that a smaller development might be possible subject to further assessment.
The council has since carried out additional work on the site’s potential access and other planning considerations.
Campaigners also question whether the 700 homes are needed as part of the district’s overall housing provision.
They argue that the draft Local Plan contains enough housing allocations to meet East Devon’s requirements without Exmo_20.
The council has included an allowance for 1,837 homes to come forward on sites that are not specifically allocated in the plan, known as windfall development. It says this approach is advisable, but that removing Exmo_20 could mean additional homes would need to be found on sites previously rejected or on new sites.
The proposed St John’s development has also attracted interest from housebuilder 3West, which has announced that it is preparing proposals for the land.
However, inclusion of the site in the Local Plan would not in itself give permission for the homes to be built.
Any future development would still require a separate planning application to East Devon District Council, which would consider the detailed proposals through the normal planning process.
The draft Local Plan is expected to be submitted to the government by the end of the year.
If submitted, it will be examined by an independent planning inspector, who will consider whether the plan meets the required tests before it can ultimately be adopted.
The public meeting at Exmouth Town Hall on Thursday is expected to focus on the concerns raised by residents and the future of the St John’s allocation as the council moves towards the next stage of the Local Plan process.
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