PLANS for close to 70 new homes on the outskirts of Exeter, close to the border with Teignbridge, have been given a boost after Teignbridge District Council raised no objection to the proposals.

The application, submitted by Edenstone Homes, seeks permission from Exeter City Council for a 67 home development off Chudleigh Road at Alphington.

Exeter City Council is expected to make a decision on the application, reference 26/1139/FUL, by October 29.

Teignbridge District Council was consulted on the proposals because the southern boundary of the site forms the administrative boundary between Exeter City Council and Teignbridge.

In its response, Teignbridge said it ‘raises no objection to the proposal’, while recommending that conditions are attached to any planning permission to ensure appropriate measures are put in place for highways, landscaping, ecology and lighting along the Markham Lane boundary.

The proposed development would be built on a site of approximately two hectares to the south of Alphington.

The land is entirely within Exeter City Council's administrative area, with Chudleigh Road and a small number of existing homes to the east, Markham Lane to the south and land to the west where Tilia Homes is currently carrying out construction.

The site is currently a single field of agricultural land, surrounded by tree and hedge lines, along with the existing property at 72 Chudleigh Road, known as Silverlands.

Under the plans, Silverlands and its outbuildings would be demolished, with its existing access onto Chudleigh Road removed.

In their place, developers are proposing 67 homes, representing a net increase of 66 dwellings once the existing property is taken into account.

The scheme would include a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and houses of up to four bedrooms.

Edenstone Homes has proposed a minimum of 35 per cent affordable housing, although the application includes flexibility to potentially increase this to 100 per cent if grant funding is secured for all of the homes.

It also commits to at least five per cent of the affordable homes meeting Exeter's standards for wheelchair accessibility.

The plans also include a new vehicular access from Chudleigh Road, alongside connections to neighbouring land.

A pedestrian and cycle connection is proposed towards Markham Lane, together with a vehicle turning head.

More than 10 per cent of the site would be provided as open space, including sustainable drainage, play facilities and measures intended to improve biodiversity.

These include ecological mitigation, such as dark corridors and a bat house.

The site forms part of the wider land south of Alphington, which was allocated for around 500 homes under the Exeter Core Strategy 2012.

The final decision on whether the 67-home scheme goes ahead rests with Exeter City Council.

To view the planning documents in full, and to comment on the application, visit Exeter City Council’s planning portal and enter ‘26/1139/FUL’ into the search-box.