TOWN chiefs may be one step nearer to fulfilling the community’s dreams for the regeneration of a prime Totnes site.

Councillors hope to include in the Totnes Neighbourhood Plan a policy supporting the principles of Atmos aims for the former Dairy Crest Site, based on the trailblazing Community Right to Buy Order.

At their full town council meeting on Monday they called for 62 new homes to be built at the site, and objected to an outline planning application submitted by the site’s new owners, Fastglobe, on the grounds of a lack of housing provision.

On the same day, the glue company’s planning application received a whopping 91 objections from residents, with housing topping the list of reasons.

When the Community Right to Buy Order to re-shape the site next to the railway station expired in 2020, the community-led plans were withdrawn from the Joint Local Plan.

Now councillors are attempting to include similar plans into the town’s neighbourhood plan, and at their recent full town council meeting agreed to a revised policy for the eight acre site, which includes provision for 62 homes.

The modified policy will be presented to an independent examiner for approval.

Planning consultant James Shorten, who drew up the policy, highlighted the site’s strategic importance and stressed that any development there must be “encapsulated” in a masterplan.

In his report, James wrote: “Whilst the Community Right to Build Order has lapsed, the placemaking principles it was founded on remain relevant to the redevelopment of the site.”

The policy outlines support for a mixed-use development for a range of business, commercial and community uses, along with flood mitigation measures which must maximise the developable area of the site.

James explained: “This is so we don’t end up with vast amounts of the site being used for flood attenuation and, effectively, opportunities for the site to be developed being lost.”

The redevelopment of the site will be in accordance with a site-wide masterplan which puts ecology and biodiversity centre forward. The policy also calls for high standards of design to create a strong sense of place within the site, and to enhance the setting of the listed Brunel Building.

It also calls for the provision of 62 homes, including live-work units and affordable housing; small commercial units and the restoration and reuse of the Brunel Building for community and public use.

Other priorities include enhancing nearby existing public paths and cycle routes.

The policy also outlines its ‘green’ ethos with the inclusion of “opportunities for promoting low carbon travel, employing low energy use materials and construction techniques, and incorporating renewable energy generation will be maximised across the site.”

After agreeing the revised policy, councillors voted to object to Fastglobe’s outline planning permission for some 25 new homes, 20 holiday lodges, a spa, concierge building and flood defences.

Planning chairwoman, Cllr Georgina Allen, said “We have agreed that we’d like to recommend 62 houses; and having holiday lodges, a spa and concierge building is not good use of this land.”

Cllr Ben Piper said: “This proposed plan just fails to really step up to what is required of such an incredibly important strategic site and from where I am sitting it just doesn’t really look serious as a long term plan.”

All councillors, bar Cllr Pip Payne who abstained, voted to object to the outline planning application in line with their newly agreed neighbourhood plan policy.

Mayor Cllr Emily Price called for an emergency planning meeting so councillors could thrash out the “exact wording” to the objection, ahead of the deadline for submissions on Thursday November 17.

“They have 10 days to really make sure it’s solid and they have covered everything,” she said.

Objector Christine Leslie said: “Totnes needs social housing and the infrastructure that goes with it. Totnes does not need a spa or a holiday park.”

Adam Griffin also objected: “The Atmos scheme that was originally proposed for the site had a much better mix of affordable housing and community resource, with a much lager benefit to the local economy and bigger amount of jobs would have been created.”

Meanwhile Michael Cast supported the plans. “It is easy to pick holes but this derelict site and eyesore needs developing and to do that it needs a company with money not dreamers!”

To view the plans visit South Hams Council’s planning portal and search for application 3136/22/OPA