Land North Of Parsons Lane Rockbeare Data via plota.co.uk

26/0535/MFUL - Major - Full application Awaiting decision

Proposal

Change of Use from Agricultural Land to Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGS) including paths, footbridges, and landscaping with associated infrastructure. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
1 Apr 2026
✓
Committee
1 Sept 2026
Decision
Expected by 27 Nov 2026

This application is under consideration - no decision has been issued yet. Plota predicted a decision around 4 Oct 2026; it is now day 186.

Planning committee

Decided by East Devon Planning Committee on 1 Sept 2026. The council has not yet issued its decision notice.

Approved

  • Officers advised approval because the SANGS would provide habitat mitigation, public green space, flood-safe access and biodiversity gains.
  • The committee adopted the Appropriate Assessment and approved the application subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement.
Read how the committee decided The proposal, site history, officers’ assessment, consultation responses, public concerns, committee decision and planning conditions.

Source: Plota analysis of East Devon's committee minutes of 1 Sept 2026.

Site constraints 2

Flood zone 3, rivers and sea
High chance: a 1 in 100 or greater annual chance from rivers, or 1 in 200 from the sea. Any development here needs a flood risk assessment. Defences are not counted.
The Environment Agency flood map for planning. Homes in zone 3 must also pass the sequential test. Surface water flooding is a separate map.
Flood map ↗
Agricultural land, grade 3b, surveyed
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: Natural England's post-1988 ALC field survey (Bristol). Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Survey report ↗
Not affected
Not green belt · No listed building at the site · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
East Devon
Application type
Major - Full application
Postcode
EX5 2EQ
Received
1 Apr 2026
Validated
1 Apr 2026
Ward
Whimple And Rockbeare
Parish
Rockbeare
Target decision
27 Nov 2026
Applicant
Show
Agent
Bell Cornwell LLP

Decision outlook

Day 186, past the statutory target. 80% of agricultural works in East Devon are decided within thirteen weeks; extensions of time are common, and the council need not decide on the day. Last seen undecided on 1 Oct 2026.

Day 186130 days past the 56-day target
64%decided within 8 weeks
86%approved
95decided in the last year

Plota live figures for agricultural works decided by East Devon in the last twelve months, from validation. East Devon decision record →

Public comments

5comments received
3 objecting1 neutral1 supporting

60% object · below the UK average of 75%

35 neighbours consulted · Last counted 1 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14436180
Site or press notice
15 Apr 2026
Committee
1 Sept 2026
Env. assessment
No
East Devon
Planning Authority Score
6.7/10
Good
#72 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

East Devon ranks #103 out of 296 councils for householder decision speed. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (94%) than the national average (90%).

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
East Devon decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
88%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #152 of 296
94%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #104 of 296
72%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #103 of 296
34%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #86 of 296
63%
Minor dwellings approved
168 decided (1-9 homes)
74%
Major dwellings approved
23 decided (10+ homes)
88%
Change of use approved
25 decided
1,321
Total decisions
157 refused in the year to March 2026