At Wednesdays Mid Devon District Council planning committee meeting the Churchill’s Farm housing development was given the green light.
Hemyock Parish Council was represented by its Chairman Heather Stallard who was there to put forward the views of local people who had deep concerns about the lack of sufficient infrastructure. In particular, recently reported sewage leaks on Longmead because of inadequate pipe-work, a lack of teaching accommodation at the local school, the need for affordable housing specifically for local people and ongoing traffic problems.
The planning committee will address most of these concerns when it publishes the S106 agreement associated with the development. Summerfields the Taunton based developer will pay nearly £100,000 towards tackling these problems.Local education will receive £30,000 to improve teaching accommodation, the Parish Council will have £17,000 for the development of open spaces and £50,000 will be go towards modernization of the local sewage system. On the later issue, the S106 will specifically state that the new homes cannot be occupied until South West Water complete its work to update the pipe-work system.
Of the 23 homes, 9 will be low cost properties for rent or part ownership under the management of a Housing Association. The S106 will state that these are to be made available primarily for current and former residents of Hemyock and Clayhidon. Heather Stallard said that whilst not everybody will be happy that there is to be further development in the village, pressure from Parish Councillors and members of the public have had a good effect on addressing the very real infrastructure concerns of local people. She encouraged villagers and those who want to move back into the area to put their names on the housing list now.
Steven Reed
For Hemyock Parish Council