®Planning appeal decision
Land at Stonelands Cross, Rackenford, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8DL
Planning appeal 3317058 at Land at Stonelands Cross, Rackenford, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 8DL (North Devon District Council) was allowed on 20 December 2023 by Inspector Cresswell C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the site is a suitable location for the proposed development.
Hybrid planning application to provide an Agricultural-Hub comprising: Area 1: Full Planning Permission for the erection of workshop and storage and distribution uses with ancillary offices, shop and showroom (sui generis), creation of access and associated works (Phase 1); Area 2: Outline Application for the erection of buildings 1, 2 & 3 for agri-business uses falling under Use Classes Class E (a) retail, Class E (e) medical services, Class E (g) Business, B2 workshop and B8 storage and distribution with appearance and scale to be reserved matters (Phases 2 & 3).
- Authority
- North Devon District Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Cresswell C
- Postcode
- EX16 8DL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the site is a suitable location for the proposed development
What decided it
The economic benefits of supporting local jobs and enabling James Pryce Tractors to relocate and grow, combined with the absence of suitable alternative premises in the area, outweighed the environmental harms and policy conflict, making the proposal sustainable development overall.
The economic benefits of the proposal in terms of supporting local jobs and enabling a well-established rural enterprise to grow and secure employment outweighed the environmental harms identified (visual impact on the rural landscape and traffic generation), resulting in sustainable development that justified allowing the appeal despite conflict with Policy ST07.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy ST07Policy ST11Policy ST01
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 3.1
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
More decisions in North Devon
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
- Allowed18 June 20266006157Horseshoe Lodge, Burrington, Umberleigh, EX37 9LH
- Dismissed26 June 2025336295035a The Brittons, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2HF
- Allowed1 October 20243343651Higher Mullacott, Road From St Brannocks Road to Mullacott Cross Roundabout, Ilfracombe, Devon, EX34 8NA
- Dismissed23 January 20243318926Land Adjacent to Langsfield, Croyde, Devon, EX33 1QD
- Dismissed5 October 20233315960Higher Mullacott, Road From St Brannocks Road To Mullacott Cross Roundabout, Ilfracombe, EX34 8NA
The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.