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Greater Exeter Strategic Plan

Hartnoll Farm – Central Growth Area

Site Reference: SA-MD-10

Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) sites included: wl140eq

Parish(es): Halberton

District(s): Mid Devon District Council

Site size: 101 hectares

Number of homes considered in Sustainability Appraisal Report: 1,683 – 2,172 homes

Indicative number of homes factoring in sensitivities and requirements (see below): 950 homes

Potential for employment use: Site includes 5ha of existing employment uses at Hartnoll Business Centre, limited potential for further employment.

Relationship with existing allocations and other potential GESP sites: The emerging Mid Devon Local Plan Review allocates 1,580- 1,830 dwellings and 30,000m2 of commercial floorspace at the Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension (EUE) TIV1 (and considered in the Allocations and Infrastructure DPD). The majority of the EUE is covered by a masterplan. Possible link with the site SA-MD-12 (Sampford Peverell South) to deliver transport infrastructure.

Planning status: A condition attached to Anaerobic Digestor at Red Linhay, stipulates that feedstock for the plant is sourced from specific sources, including Hartnoll Farm (17/01142/FULL).

Summary description of the site: A site east of Tiverton and west of Halberton. Relatively level and predominately agricultural with Hartnoll Business Centre occupying 5ha of the northern part of the site. The site is bounded to the south and east by the Grand Western Canal.

Opportunities

This site is identified for consideration in the GESP because:

  • A large proportion of the site has been put forward by landowners for development
  • It would provide a logical extension to Tiverton linked to an existing allocation and planned facilities
  • There is the potential to provide residential development linked to existing employment, reducing the need to travel
  • The site has level topography which would enable fairly significant levels of development
  • The site will have good strategic highway access from a new junction on the A361
  • Its large scale would enable comprehensive masterplanning and high quality design
  • The site provides the potential to improve National Cycle Network Route 3 along the disused railway line
  • The Grand Western Canal would provide significant walking/cycle access and leisure potential
  • There are opportunities for district heating linked to the anaerobic digester and Red Linhay

Sensitivities

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

  • The Grand Western Canal (Conservation Area, Local Nature Reserve, and County Wildlife Site) which would need careful treatment and landscaping
  • It may impact upon the Culm Grasslands SAC which is a Natura 2000 protected wildlife site sensitive to deterioration in air quality (related to traffic on the A361)
  • Potential for car-borne out-commuting to Exeter
  • A small area of the site is affected by flooding
  • A small number of listed structures adjacent to the site associated with the Grand Western Canal and the dismantled railway
  • The wish to maintain physical and visual separation from Halberton
  • 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 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:

  • Completion of planned new junction on A361 to mitigate impacts on M5 Junction 27
  • Improvements to bus services and to vehicle and pedestrian/cycle access to Post Hill and Crown Hill
  • Attractive pedestrian and cycle routes through the site making use of the disused railway including contribution to strategic cycle links to Tiverton Parkway and Cullompton
  • Additional primary and early years provision in the local area with contributions to additional secondary provision
  • Measures to address the risk of flooding on site
  • A variety of amenity and community facilities including community building, outdoor play space, small local shop and potential contributions to healthcare improvements
  • Contributions to a new recycling centre
  • Development will need to respect the privacy of existing dwellings located nearby
  • Respecting the character of the area set out in the Eastern Urban Extension masterplans

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