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Greater Exeter Strategic Plan

Culm Garden Village – North Growth Area

Site Reference: SA-MD-9

Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) sites included: c7140zo, e415yyo, ws137ym, k015y7d, f0137bk, dj15y49

Parish(es): Cullompton, Kentisbeare, Uffculme

District(s): Mid Devon District Council

Site size: 802 hectares

Number of homes considered in Sustainability Appraisal Report: 12,493 – 16,120 homes

Indicative number of homes factoring in sensitivities and requirements (see below): 5,000 homes (reflects scale of Garden Village proposal)

Potential for employment use: It would need to provide a mix of employment uses alongside housing.

Relationship with existing allocations and other potential GESP sites: East of Cullompton has been designated as a Garden Village by the Government. The emerging Mid Devon Local Plan Review proposes to allocate 2,600 dwellings and 32,000m2 of employment at East Cullompton CU7. The emerging Local Plan also proposes to allocate employment space at Week Farm CU17 and CU18 Venn Farm.

Planning status: None (see above)

Summary description of the site: A large area of predominantly flat agricultural land east of the M5 at Cullompton. The site includes the emerging East Cullompton allocation within the Mid Devon Local Plan Review and includes the Culm Garden Village area. It includes dispersed farms and isolated dwellings.

Opportunities

This site is identified for consideration in the GESP because:

  • A first phase of the site is an allocation in the Mid Devon Local Plan Review
  • The area has been designated by Government as a Garden Village, a new community that will focus on high quality housing, jobs and facilities in an attractive, green environment
  • The draft Cullompton Neighbourhood Development Plan supports the principle of development here
  • A large proportion of the site has been put forward by landowners for development
  • The site generally has level topography
  • It is close to the M5 and the Great Western Mainline providing good links to Exeter and beyond
  • Its large scale would enable comprehensive masterplanning, significant infrastructure provision and high quality design
  • It offers the potential for a mixture of uses including residential, employment and community infrastructure, helping to reduce the need to travel
  • There are opportunities for district heating on site and renewable energy generation
  • It could deliver a regional hub for sports

Sensitivities

The site has a number of sensitivities which development would need to take into account, including:

  • A large area of the site is affected by flooding
  • There are areas of ancient woodland in the southeast of the site
  • There is potential for significant commuting to Exeter by car
  • There are a number of listed buildings associated with farms
  • Two lines of pylons run across the site
  • The wish to maintain physical and visual separation from Kentisbeare
  • It may be visible from the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • It may contain Great Crested Newts and other protected species
  • A large proportion of the site is high grade agricultural land
Requirements

Planning requirements for the site will aim to create a great place to live and work, providing well designed, high quality new neighbourhoods with appropriate and well managed public open space and safe walking/cycling routes. All sites will need to provide a mix of homes (including affordable and custom build), investment in low carbon energy and transport, high speed internet and wildlife enhancements. More detail on these can be found in the policies within Section B of this document. Other emerging requirements include:

  • A town centre relief road and capacity improvements at junction 28 M5 to deliver a strategic highway improvement
  • A new railway station at Cullompton and improvements to bus services
  • Attractive pedestrian and cycle routes through the site, to Cullompton, Willand and Tiverton
  • Primary schools and an education campus including early years, primary, secondary, special educational needs and skills
  • Significant areas of multifunctional open space, such as a country park, allotments, orchards, landscaping and sports facilities
  • Measures to address the risk of flooding on site
  • A variety of amenities and services including retail, employment, sports, recreation, youth, healthcare provision, library provision, community building and outdoor play space
  • Development will need to respect the privacy of existing dwellings located nearby
  • Contributions to or provision of a site for a new recycling centre
  • Consideration of how to minimise the impact of the pylons across the site including potential re- routing of the lower voltage power lines

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