Community celebrates rejection of retirement flats

Plans for a retirement home complex on a former school sports field have been unanimously rejected after a community rallied against the project.

McCarthy and Stone Retirement Lifestyles wanted to build a three-storey block of apartments on the old Bramdean School field in Heavitree, Exeter - claiming it would provide much-needed housing on a redundant piece of land.

Campaigners who fought against the development want to develop alternative plans for community food growing, outdoor learning and natural play spaces on the former site.

Exeter City Council planning committee members rejected the plans that included car parking, an electrical substation and landscaped grounds.

Bramdean School closed in April 2020, citing financial difficulties and falling pupil numbers. The playing field is not open to the public.

The committee meeting heard the city council had recently been able to demonstrate it could provide enough land to meet housing supply demands for more than five years.

That means it has crossed a government-set threshold and no longer has to apply a "tilted balance" in favour of development.

Lucy Haigh, Independent member for Heavitree, said in the meeting: "This is virgin, open free space, and if this committee grants permission, no future generations will ever get it back."

Green councillor Helen Terry said the housing benefits of the scheme would not justify the harm it would cause.

Campaigner Charlotte Corden said more than 700 people had completed a survey supporting the community option and more than 200 had already offered their time as volunteers.

The campaigners had seen their application to have the field listed as an official Asset of Community Value turned down, but were seeking legal advice on whether the rejection was valid.

Michael Mitchell, Liberal Democrat, told the meeting: "This is a community asset, and I think we should be standing up for urban areas that have this limited amount of green space."

Alison Sheridan, from Reform UK, added: "It is really important for the people of this area, who have this jewel in their environment, to have a say and be listened to."

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