THE final details of a planning process that could lead to the construction of 45 homes on land that was formerly occupied by Holsworthy Cattle Market has been approved by Torridge District Council’s planning department.

Hawksmeadow Properties (Holsworthy) Ltd had previously obtained planning approval to construct the dwellings on the land at the former market, where it would join an existing development on the site which had been previously built by Cavanna Homes.

An outline planning application which established the approval for the construction of the homes had been approved in December 2021. A reserved matters application is the second part of that process, seeking council approval for any matters which had not been part of the first planning approval.

Reserved matters can often include things such as community amenities, landscaping, final appearances of the dwellings and represents the last reserved matters as matters of layout, scale, appearance and access were approved as part of the outline application.

The landscaping includes both hard and soft landscape, boundary treatments, bin storage, cycle storge, street furniture and details of the local area of play secured at the outline stage.

Its approval means there are no more barriers in the way of Hawksmeadow Properties plans to build the housing on the brownfield site.

In the application, Hawksmeadow Properties were seeking the council’s approval on the landscaping and appearance of the site specifically includes both hard and soft landscape, boundary treatments, bin storage, cycle storge, street furniture and details of the local area of play secured at the outline stage.

Its initial proposals were met with concerns relating to the boundary treatments along Underlane and in the site itself as well as a perceived lack of soft landscape such as trees and hedgerows.

Other concerns related to the proposed equipment and design of the play space allocated as part of the application and a lack of appropriate storage for general refuse and recycling for properties without suitable rear accesses, namely mid terrace properties.

After Holsworthy Town Council, which said it was disappointed with the ‘quantum of landscaping’ and other stakeholders raised their concerns, the developer came back with a revised set of proposals which were met with a more positive response and were later praised by the planning officer who said it was of a high quality design and would not impact on privacy or the occupiers of the dwellings once built.

Concluding the assessment which accompanied the planning approval, Torridge District Council said the applicant had engaged positivity with its officers, stating: “The proposed landscaping is considered to constitute high quality design, in accordance with local plan policies, that will enhance the approved outline scheme, as well enhancing the visual appearance of the site (and setting of the conservation area) when viewed from Underlane and from views to the south.

“The applicant and agent have positively engaged with council officers over the lifetime of the application to provide significant improvements to the landscape scheme.

“There would be no adverse harm to the amenity of existing or future residents.”