Opposition to housing scheme near valley park
HUNDREDS of residents have united to oppose plans to build a new urban village community of up to 150 homes near Exeter’s Mincinglake Valley Park.
A planning application has been submitted to turn agricultural land to the north of Exeter in Stoke Hill into a new homes development.
More than 340 objections have been formally lodged and last Saturday a group of residents gathered by Mincinglake Valley Park to protest against the plans.
The applicant, Mr J Drake and family, is proposing to build a variety of types and sizes of new homes, including affordable housing. Natural materials such as wood and green roofs will be used. Open space will be incorporated at the top of the hill, and the development will be kept lower down, with lower density housing in the higher parts of the site, while the plans also include a community hub. The main vehicular access is proposed from Stoke Hill, and the proposal aims to address Exeter’s housing shortage.
The planning application states: “The landscape strategy is focused around creating a series of green links and breaks throughout the development, reinforcing the connections to Mincinglake Valley Park and supplementing this with new planting, green space allotments, orchards, and wildflower meadows.”
It continued: “There would be provision of a significant area of land which would link up with adjacent applications extending Mincinglake Valley Park, providing council-controlled space for recreation and wildlife across the higher land to the north of the conurbation, protecting the city’s skyline in perpetuity, forming a backdrop to the city, and retaining the higher, visible, hills from development.”
It added: “The emphasis has been on achieving accessible low traffic, low speed, walkable, and cyclable, urban village neighbourhood. The site lies within an area identified, through work and evidence prepared on behalf of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP), to be an area suitable for strategic housing growth and development.” Referring to Exeter’s housing shortage it said: “Exeter has no land left; its housing land supply is less than two years, and it must be allowed to grow sustainably.”
However, local residents have voiced objections against the loss of green space in Exeter, and believe it would greatly impact Exeter’s green skyline.
In an objection, a local resident said: “This plan will take another green area away and rob the area of an enormous range of wildlife. Demand on schools, roads and services in the area are already stretched and inadequate.
“Far too many areas of Exeter are vanishing under building/housing. Green areas are vital for wellbeing of everyone, especially our children and our future. Once a precedent is set in this area it will soon be lost to the building of more and more houses.”
Another said: “It’s a travesty that such a massive development should be authorised in this location.”
Also against it, a resident said: “We absolutely object to the possible travesty of 150 homes being built next to one of the most beautiful green spaces in Exeter - Mincinglake Valley Park.”
Local councillor for Mincinglake and Whipton, Naima Allcock, is supporting residents in their attempts to stop the development. She said: “While we do need to build more affordable homes, this application clearly goes against Exeter’s planning policies and vision for development. It would harm the character of the northern hills, which our council has long committed to protect.”