Alder Farm, Lewdown, OKEHAMPTON, EX20 4PJ

Change of use of fishing lake to allow the siting of 4 floating holiday pods on the lake with the existing site car parking area and toilet unit retained

Authority: West Devon Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector: Gethin T

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposed development would be in a suitable location, with particular regard to access to services and facilities

What decided it

The proposed development would be accessible by public transport and would not result in occupiers being solely reliant on private vehicles, thereby satisfying the sustainability of location test for rural development.

The benefits of sustainable rural tourism development and accessibility by public transport outweighed concerns about distance from services and the rural location.

Plan policies cited: Policy SPT1, Policy SPT2, Policy TTV1, Policy TTV2, Policy DEV15, Policy DEV29

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What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.
- Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
- Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
- Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
- Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.
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