THREE YEARS after planning permission was requested for a new housing estate in Bradworthy permission has finally been granted.

The 2.72 hectare site, bounded by fields, is on the northeast edge of Bradworthy opposite Langdon Road Industrial Estate. Thirty-eight homes will be put on the land ranging from two one-bed flats to eight four-bed detached houses with access from Mill Road. The developers will provide play spaces for children and youths together with a combined sports park and recreation ground and allotments.

Bradworthy Parish Council did not support the scheme which was originally for 28 homes but grew to 38 units to achieve financial viability. The parish council was concerned that local services would be overloaded and wanted to ensure all the services in the village received contributions due to them from the developer. It was the Parish Council which pushed for affordable housing to remain in the scheme.

The application was originally considered by Torridge District Council’s Plans Committee in March 2022 but a decision was deferred for clarification of the viability report and ward councillor involvement in the Section 106 agreement.

This agreement now requires the developers to include 11 affordable homes in the scheme– eight for social rent including a four bedroom six-person house and three for intermediate housing. They will also have to pay a £13,300 contribution to Bradworthy health centre which, with a patient list of 2,895 in April 2022, was already 815 patients over capacity by Department of Health calculations. The contribution will be pooled together with a minor improvement grant from the CCG to create a new GP consulting room.

The additional homes will also put pressure on the local education system and the developers will have to pay £14,877 towards transporting secondary school pupils associated with the development to Holsworthy Community College and £147,888 towards the infrastructure at Bradworthy Primary School.

The agreement also obliges the developers to pay £123,490 towards off-site biodiversity projects undertaken by the North Devon Biosphere at Abbotsham Cliffs and/or Roborough to provide grassland ditch and hedgerow habitats.