Although the site was allocated for 2,000 homes in the Joint Local Plan the Society was concerned that unless properly mitigated any development would have a negative impact on the health, not only of residents of Plymouth and the South Hams, but of the wider area.

These concerns are spelt out in our objection, in which we also noted that the applicant had no intention of developing the site themselves, but instead wished to obtain consent and then sell that consent on to one or more housebuilders. As a consequence there was every possibility that the LPA would therefore be approving a development for which there is no evidence that an actual
developer exists.

Unfortunately despite our reservations and the concerns of many others officers recommended approval. "As a strategic allocation", officers said, "the Woolwell development plays an important part of the JLPs spatial strategy and will provide 7% of the new homes planned across the JLP area." With the LPA struggling to meet its 5-year housing land requirement, this was always going to be a critical consideration.

The first phase of the development was also promising only 8% affordable housing. And there is no guarantee that even that will be delivered. Economic circumstances can and do change, and what is supposedly viable now may not be in the future.

Yet despite that, when the application was taken to the Development Management Committee for a second time, members voted to delegate approval for a major development that will do virtually nothing to solve our housing crisis to the LPA's Head of Development Management, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the DMC, to conditionally grant planning permission,
subject to a s106 Agreement being signed by the developer within the next six months.

Presumably we now await the applicant being able to sell on the consent to one of more housebuilders who might actually want to develop the site.