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BREAKING: Knowle: new planning application

  • by JW

“Spot the affordable housing.”

.

Back in December, there were new owners at Knowle – with new ideas: Knowle: new developer, new plans: new analysis – Vision Group for Sidmouth

A new planning application has just been announced: 23/0571/MFUL | Redevelopment of site to provide: a) Care home building (Class C2) with associated parking, landscaping, staff and resident facilities and associated works, b) Extra care apartment building (53 units) with associated communal lounge, wellbeing suite, restaurant and care provision (class C2) c) Retirement living apartment building (33 units) with associated communal lounge d) Erection of 4 houses, 3 townhouses, and 2 chalet bungalows (Class C3) Along with accesses; internal car parking, roads, paths, retaining walls, refuse and landscaping associated with development. Retention/refurbishment of building B, erection of habitat building and sub-stations. (Demolition of buildings other than building B) | Former Council Offices Knowle Sidmouth EX10 8HL

With a first comment from an observer: “A quick heads up. Did you spot the affordable housing? Me neither.”

Which follows on from observations from December last: Knowle: a failure of promises on affordable housing – Vision Group for Sidmouth

23/0571/MFUL | Redevelopment of site to provide: a) Care home building (Class C2) with associated parking, landscaping, staff and resident facilities and associated works, b) Extra care apartment building (53 units) with associated communal lounge, wellbeing suite, restaurant and care provision (class C2) c) Retirement living apartment building (33 units) with associated communal lounge d) Erection of 4 houses, 3 townhouses, and 2 chalet bungalows (Class C3) Along with accesses; internal car parking, roads, paths, retaining walls, refuse and landscaping associated with development. Retention/refurbishment of building B, erection of habitat building and sub-stations. (Demolition of buildings other than building B) | Former Council Offices Knowle Sidmouth EX10 8HL

The first scheme was also not able to make affordable housing a priority – despite certain official proclamations being made:

The senior planning officer stated in a letter to the developer at the time that “the scheme constitutes a C3 use and the level of affordable housing sought will come as a disappointment but we can assure you that these issues have undergone a very detailed consideration by Officers with appropriate independent legal opinion… Concerning the issue of affordable housing, the policy of the Local Plan sets out a target of 50% affordable housing for residential development in Sidmouth. The presumption is that such affordable housing should be provided on site. As a result we will be seeking on-site provision of affordable housing in this case.” EAST-DEVON-DISTRICT-COUNCIL’S-“RELOCATION-PROJECT”-STATEMENT-OF-OBJECTION-16-July-2018.pdf

With a bit more on the affordable provision expected by the council:

In his letter to Mr Shillitoe of Tibbalds dated 12th February 2016, Planning Officer Ed Freeman considers at length the status of the proposed development and concludes thus: “We understand that both the assessment that the scheme constitutes a C3 use and the level of affordable housing sought will come as a disappointment but we can assure you that these issues have undergone a very detailed consideration by Officers with appropriate independent legal opinion.” C2 and C3 land use classification for Knowle development – a Freedom of Information request to East Devon District Council – WhatDoTheyKnow