New farm shop and cafe on A30 next to garden centre approved

Plans for a new farm shop to be established alongside an existing garden centre on the vast 4,000-acre Combe Estate in Gittisham, near Honiton, have been given the green light after intense debate. The proposal, which aims to replace the current farm shop located within a nearby housing estate with a new one next to Combe Garden Centre on Hayne Lane, next to the A30, was narrowly passed by East Devon District Council's planning committee.

The decision came after approximately an hour of discussion, resulting in a close vote of five in favour, two against, and one abstention.

Concerns were raised by some councillors regarding the accessibility of the new shop for pedestrians compared to the existing one. Questions were also posed about the appropriateness of Devon County Council's highways assessment concerning the proposed development.

Additionally, there was unease among members about the officers' report, which seemed to draw comparisons between the proposed and current shops, despite no stipulation for the latter's closure and its existence being outside the scope of planning considerations.

Cllr Mike Howe (Independent, Clyst Valley) expressed his difficulty in reaching a decision due to the content of the report, stating: "I am struggling to understand how to make this decision given the way the report is written as half of it relates to something that should not be considered," and adding, "The current farm shop is not relevant, and I'm worried about this being approved or refused due to the wording.", reports Devon Live.

Cllr Alasdair Bruce (Independent, Feniton) concurred, stating that he did "not believe the comparison should be in the report. It's important we get this right, either we can compare a current operation or we can't."

However, Cllr Howe expressed his worries about the potential closure of the existing shop. "It would be removing a vital resource form what is currently a new, sustainable community," he commented.

"Those people in Hayne Lane will now be abandoned [if the farm shop closes] and have to drive to Honiton or go down a dangerous lane to the new farm shop, which I think is wrong."

"We shouldn't be abandoning a brand-new community, the shop ought to be kept in the current location surrounded by housing, which is where you need shops."

Justin Lascelles, estate manager at Combe Estate, argued that the current shop's location was "sub-optimal" as it is housed in a repurposed agricultural building, with an inefficient layout and energy usage.

He pointed out that the new scheme had received 26 letters of support, and that the proposed location was the "best option available".

He added: "It will have a very positive effect on the locality and underpin existing jobs and create skilled and unskilled employment."

"It will be a betterment in terms of what is on offer, and benefit local businesses and suppliers, giving customers genuine local choice of food."

The applicant has stated that the new cafe will be larger than the existing one, and will provide a more efficient and modern offering.

Planning officers highlighted that the land allocated for the cafe was originally intended for employment purposes such as light industrial or storage and distribution. Despite a cafe not meeting these criteria, it was noted that since its allocation in 2016, no development had taken place on the land and there were no current plans in place.

The committee approved the application by a majority vote.