A NEW riding arena in Bovey Tracey, a tree based rope adventure course at a Starcross holiday camp and a new pre-school building at Shaldon are among the latest planning applications submitted to Teignbridge Council this week.

Every week dozens of planning applications are sent to the local councils, and the coronavirus pandemic has not changed that.

Here is the list of applications that have been submitted and validated by the various local councils or planning authorities in the last week.

Cofton Country Holiday Park, Cofton Lane, Starcross, has applied for permission to build a tree based ropes adventure course.

Mr Jeffery, the applicant, said there would be wire ropes, timber boardwalk landings and steps with a continuous safety system.

There would be a bark finish for the zip wire ground landing area with safety fencing at the start and finish.

Shaldon Primary School has put in plans for a new pre-school building in its grounds at Bridge Road.

Shaldon Pre-school is a feeder school for Shaldon Primary School with both being part of the Academy for Character and Excellence (ACE) school trust.

The Pre-School is 50m North of Shaldon Primary School in the Royal Victoria Hall at the end of Shaldon Bridge.

The new development will provide a purpose-built pre-school within the grounds of the primary school.

In its design and access statement the school says the Royal Victoria Hall is used for other activities in the evening and weekends such as pilates, yoga and zumba classes, art workshops, children’s parties, theatre productions and meetings etc, and these would be offered throughout the day if the pre-school vacated the building.

The building has numerous limitations as a Pre-School including:

All toys and equipment must be stored away every night. It takes two staff members an hour to put equipment away and four staff one hour to put out in the morning.

Chairs stacked at back of hall are a major health and safety risk. There is no other space for them.

Dangerous exit to preschool straight onto a main road.

Limited outdoor play area, and no direct access from the main space.

Storage of toys is restricted; some are stored in outdoor shed and this is damaged from damp and mice. There is no area for buggy / scooter parking.

The hall is used in evenings and this limits time the pre-school can open.

There are only two toilets therefore staff need to share the children’s toilets. This is against current Early Years foundation Stage Guidance.

There is no staff area or office so paperwork is done in the kitchen. This poses a confidentiality risk as well as being unpleasant and difficult for staff.

No meeting room/ office so confidential talks with parents take place in public hallway. There is very limited area to display notices and children’s work.

The statement adds: ‘The proposed building is of an understated yet playful nature to reflect the proposed use and location. It is single storey and comprises five beach hut style units finished with painted render and natural hanging slate with canopies at either end.

‘The painted pastel render reflects the character of the houses opposite and throughout the village.

‘The hanging slate reflects the character of the existing school building and helps reduce the mass of the preschool when viewed from the south.

‘This beach hut form reflects the pre-school’s aspirations to be a “beach school” and keeps the building height low in the street scene.

‘To the rear large playschool shaped feature windows look out over the school field.’

It is proposed to remove two Poplar trees for the new development.

The pre-school proposes to have 30 three to four-year-olds and four two-year-olds.

The proposed all weather riding arena is in a field next to Soldridge, Manaton Road, Bovey Tracey, would be 45m x 25m.

It would be at the site which houses the applicant’s, Mrs J Brand’s, horses in a purpose made stable.

The proposed arena will take advantage of the mostly level area to the top of the field, meaning minimal cut and fill will be required to form the arena.

The arena would be for the sole use of the applicant and not for commercial or public use. There will be no floodlights for the arena.