AN application to give a Newton Abbot town centre site a new lease of life has been rejected by planners.

Submitted by School Road Industrial Units Limited, the application - reference 24/00446/FUL - sought permission to demolish a unit, make alterations to several others and change the use of one unit from a tattoo parlour to industrial use.

But Teignbridge District Council (TDC) refused to grant permission, saying that insufficient evidence had been provided that the proposed industrial unit could operate without resulting in an ‘unacceptable impact’ on the living conditions of nearby residents.

Furthermore, the council said the refurbishment of the site could jeopardise the delivery of the number of dwellings planned by the proposed Teignbridge Local Plan 2020-2040.

The council also drew attention to protected species and that, if the proposed development were to be carried out, would be likely to result in ‘harm to a species or its habitat’.

School Road Business Park is comprised of 11 units, most of which are in state of disrepair, with some unoccupied as a result.

In the past, units have been used for metal engineering, furniture making and car repair.

‘School Road Business Park is a long-established industrial site in the centre of Newton Abbot’, the planning statement for 24/00446/FUL says.

The statement goes on to say: ‘The site has suffered from a period of neglect over the past 20 years which has resulted in a detriment for the businesses trading from the site and to the surrounding premises.

‘The proposal overall attempts to refresh the site with the aim of boosting both employment and business opportunities in Newton Abbot.

‘Given the purpose Newton Abbot and its town centre are to play in providing business and employment land in the Local Plan, we submit that the proposal receives broad policy support’.