The Hartnoll Planning Appeal decision

In a letter dated 29th October, Inspector John Wilde totally vindicated the stand taken by our planning committee Councillors, Parish Councillors and County Councillor and rejected out of hand the application for a storage compound being used unlawfully at the Hartnoll Business Park.      Nearly all the professional points raised by the Society  on highway impact were taken on board (see earlier blog “The Hartnoll Public Inquiry, September 22nd”) and became part of the Inspector’s findings and reasonings which led him to the following conclusion: “I have concluded that the proposed development could potentially generate an amount of traffic that would be detrimental to the highway network and consequently to the safety of local residents.    Having regard to all other matters raised, I conclude, therefore, that the appeal should be dismissed.”   Without these professional inputs the Inspector would only have had the Officer’s Report to Committee, the appellant’s evidence and any points raised by the Councillors  and other interested parties.  It is doubtful he would have found any reasons for dismissing the appeal.   For instance the precise wording of the LHA advice on the previous but related application would not have been before him, it was not in any other document.   Again the planning officer advice has been found wanting and there was judged to be no overriding need for employment land to outweigh fundamental planning objection.        The public concern over traffic impacts on Halberton and through Blundells School has been vindicated.       The Local Highway Authority’s advice was upheld that any more than 45 (less the 30 arising from the development approved at the time this application was refused) daily trips from the site should require additional support to show no unacceptable impact.     “I have shown that the number of trips likely to be generated would be in excess of the number that the highway authority consider needs additional support to demonstrate that there would be no unacceptable impact“.    As sought by the Society, this Inspector has effectively put a moratorium on any more traffic onto the C769 between Tiverton and Halberton.      This decision will now impact on the Allocation and Infrastructure DPD out on public consultation and upon which the Society is sharpening its quill for another foray into poorly informed planning documents.                    If members wish to see the full decision letter click onto     hartnoll-appeal.pdf