South Devon AONB - Good news and proposed extension into Berry Pomeroy

The Joint Local Plan inspectors have ruled that proposed housing development sites in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Beauty should be deleted from the draft JLP that has recently been the subject of public examination.

The South Devon AONB covers an area of 130 square miles and extends from Berry Head in Brixham to Jennycliff near Plymouth and includes land either side of the River Dart running from Dartmouth to the edge of Totnes. It does not include Totnes Town.

A national planning document that has recently been issued states that the AONB should be given the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. The JLP inspectors ruled that the draft plan failed to demonstrate that sufficient weight had been given to this requirement and in consequence housing development proposals in the area should be deleted with the exception of those proposed in Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, Bere Alston and Salcombe.

There is a small area in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) within the parish of Berry Pomeroy.

At a recent meeting of the Berry Pomeroy Parish Council Councillor John Birch raised the possibility of seeking an AONB boundary review to include a greater part of that parish. The Parish Council was most supportive and will be looking into which additional parts of the parish should be included.

John will be discussing with officers at SHDC the procedure for making an application for a boundary review.