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Greater Exeter Strategic Plan

Oil Mill Lane – Central Growth Area

Site Reference: SA-ED-2

Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) sites included: 4e14yea, r614ymq, lc15xij, fm12vyh

Parish(es): Sowton, Clyst St Mary, Clyst St George, Woodbury

District(s): East Devon District Council

Site size: 380 hectares

Number of homes considered in Sustainability Appraisal Report: 6,696 – 8,640 homes

Indicative number of homes factoring in sensitivities and requirements (see below): 4,000 homes

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: There is a relationship with site options SA-ED-3 (Hill Barton) and SA-ED-7 (Higher Greendale) due to their close proximity and potential for the joint delivery of infrastructure, services and facilities.

Planning status: None

Summary description of the site: A large area largely comprising rolling farmland extending from the A3052 to Woodbury Road. Adjoins Crealy Adventure Park to the north-east.

Opportunities

This site is identified for consideration in the GESP because:

  • It comprises predominantly level land with limited landscape or historic sensitivity
  • There are approximately 30,000 jobs located within 5km of the site including at Skypark, Science Park, Greendale and Hill Barton Business Parks
  • It could deliver a link road connecting the A376 and A3052 which could relieve pressure from local traffic on the Clyst St Mary Roundabout
  • It could help to deliver of Clyst Valley Regional Park and proposed Clyst Valley Trail
  • It has the capacity to deliver a self-sufficient, mixed-use garden community
  • It could utilise waste heat from nearby projects including the strategic energy recovery locations at Hill Barton and Greendale Barton which are allocated in the Devon Waste Plan if these came forward

Sensitivities

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

  • It may impact upon the Pebblebed Heaths and Exe Estuary which are Natura 2000 protected wildlife sites sensitive to an increase in the number of visitors
  • It may contain Great Crested Newts and other protected species
  • It is not located in close proximity to an existing railway line
  • Development could increase traffic on the Clyst St Mary roundabout and Junction 30 of the M5 which is at or nearing capacity. Potential traffic impact on Topsham
  • Grade II listed buildings are present and the Grade II* listed Bishops Court is nearby
  • It is located near to historic settlements of Clyst St George, Clyst St Mary and Woodbury Salterton
  • Grade 2 and 3a agricultural land is present on the site
  • An area of the site is affected by flooding along the Grindle Brook
  • Possible difficulty in accessing the site over a floodplain
  • Possible difficulty in the availability of land for development
  • It may be visible from the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

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:

  • Funding of measures to reduce the impact on the Pebblebed Heaths and Exe Estuary including provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace(SANG)
  • Extending and improving the Clyst Valley Regional Park
  • Attractive and legible pedestrian and cycle routes towards the Exe Estuary Trail, Topsham Train station and into Exeter
  • The delivery of a section of the Clyst Valley Trail
  • Considerable improvements to the bus network including provision of new park and ride facilities and bus priority along the A3052 corridor
  • The delivery of an avenue link between the A376 and A3052
  • New primary schools including early years plus potential provision of a new learning and skills campus including early years, primary and secondary provision
  • A variety of amenities and services including a town centre, employment, sports facilities, healthcare, youth, library provision and a recreation and biodiversity corridor along the Grindle Brook
  • Measures to address the risk of flooding on site
  • Development will need to respect the privacy of existing dwellings located nearby

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