Torridge District Council Town Hall Bridge Street Bideford Devon EX39 2HS Data via plota.co.uk

1/0970/2025/LA - Full Application Approved

Proposal

Change of use of library (Use Class F1) to create a multi-functional sport and fitness facility (Use Class E) and associated alterations Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked 3 Oct 2026, 15:52

Street View

Application progress

✓

Received

12 Dec 2025

✓

Validated

18 Dec 2025

✓

Consultation

6 Mar 2026

✓

Approved

6 Mar 2026

Approved on 6 Mar 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

Documents 79

Decision & officer reports 2

PDF Decision Decision · 6 Mar 2026 View ↗ PDF Committee Report Committee Report · 23 Feb 2026 View ↗

Statements & assessments 4

PDF Heritage Statement Heritage Statement · 12 Dec 2025 View ↗ PDF METHOD STATEMENT OF WORKS TO ROOF Report · 12 Dec 2025 View ↗ PDF Ecology Report Ecology Report · 12 Dec 2025 View ↗ PDF Design and Access Statement Design and Access Statement · 12 Dec 2025 View ↗

Plans & drawings 63

Application forms 1

PDF Application Form Application Form · 12 Dec 2025 View ↗

Consultation & comments 5

PDF DCC HIGHWAYS Consultee Comment · 14 Jan 2026 View ↗ PDF COMMUNITY PROJECTS OFFICER Consultee Comment · 9 Jan 2026 View ↗ PDF BIDEFORD TOWN COUNCIL Consultee Comment · 9 Jan 2026 View ↗ PDF TDC ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Consultee Comment · 7 Jan 2026 View ↗ PDF SOUTH WEST WATER Consultee Comment · 29 Dec 2025 View ↗

Site constraints 7

Grade II listed: Town Hall and Public Library

List entry 1200934 · 10 m away · 68 more listed buildings within 150 m (1 Grade I, 1 Grade II*, 66 Grade II)

Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.

Show the other 68 with distances

21 mRoyal Mail Public House (Part)Grade II
24 mNo 1 Including Attached Gatepier to ChurchyardGrade II
26 mBridge BuildingsGrade II
33 mRoyal Mail Public House (Part)Grade II
33 m2, 3 and 4, Church WalkGrade II
33 mTanton's HotelGrade II
37 m5, Church WalkGrade II
41 m4, Bridge StreetGrade II
42 m2, 3 and 4, the QuayGrade II
42 mClark Memorial Tablet Attached to North East Corner of Church of St MaryGrade II
44 mSloops RestaurantGrade II
44 m20, Allhalland StreetGrade II
44 m6 and 7, Church WalkGrade II
53 mNos 4 and 5 Including Building to Rear of No 4Grade II
55 m8, Church WalkGrade II
57 mChurch of St MaryGrade II*
58 mSt Mary's Churchyard 4 Walls Including Gates and Railings on North and South SidesGrade II
64 mNos 5-9 (Consecutive) Including Iron Railings Along Inner Edge of PavementGrade II
68 m1 AND 2, CHAPEL STREET (See details for further address information)Grade II
71 m15-18, Allhalland StreetGrade II
77 m8, Allhalland StreetGrade II
77 mRose of TorridgeGrade II
78 mHampton TerraceGrade II
86 mMerchant HouseGrade II
88 mNo 12 and Attached Front Garden Wall and RailingGrade II
91 mThe Hindles and Attached Front Garden Wall and RailingGrade II
92 mKent Headstone Approximately 16 Metres South West of South Aisle of Church of St MaryGrade II
93 mKings Arms Public House Including Barn at RearGrade II
96 m12, Allhalland StreetGrade II
100 m3 and 4, Tower StreetGrade II
103 m10 and 11, Allhalland StreetGrade II
103 m8, the QuayGrade II
103 mNo 9 and Attached Front Railing and GatepostsGrade II
105 m8, Tower StreetGrade II
107 mNew Inn HotelGrade II
110 mLloyds BankGrade II
114 m4, Lower Meddon StreetGrade II
117 mTalbot InnGrade II
119 m4, High StreetGrade II
119 m3, High StreetGrade II
119 m11, Bridge StreetGrade II
121 m7 and 8, High StreetGrade II
122 mBurscott House and Adjoining ShopGrade II
124 mBollard Set Into Corner of 1 High Street Adjoining the QuayGrade II
126 m19, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
128 mNos 11 and 12 Including Workshop at RearGrade II
128 m10, High StreetGrade II
129 m18, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
129 m7 and 8, Lower Meddon StreetGrade II
131 m18, Market PlaceGrade II
131 m1, 2 and 2a, Market PlaceGrade II
132 m13, 14 and 15, High StreetGrade II
136 mNo 20 Including Rear BuildingGrade II
137 m16 and 17, Market PlaceGrade II
137 m17, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
139 m16, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
139 mNos 18 and 19 and Attached Front Area Railings and Gate to No 18Grade II
143 m14, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
143 m9, Lower Meddon StreetGrade II
146 m82, High StreetGrade II
146 mSilvester HouseGrade II
146 mBideford Bridge Including Parapet Walls and Gates of East AbutmentGrade I
147 m4, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
148 m85, High StreetGrade II
148 m13 and 13a, Buttgarden StreetGrade II
149 m80 and 81, High StreetGrade II
149 m15 and 16, Lower Meddon StreetGrade II
150 mNational Westminster Bank Including Bank ChambersGrade II

Historic England ↗

Bideford conservation area

Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.

The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.

Council document ↗

Local nature reserve 26 m away: Kynoch's Foreshore

Work nearby can need a habitats assessment.

Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.

SSSI 32 m away: Taw-Torridge Estuary SSSI

Natural England may need consulting, depending on what is proposed.

Sites of special scientific interest are the best wildlife and geological sites in the country. Development likely to harm one is rarely permitted.

Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2

Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.

South West Coast Path 20 m away

Matters where it crosses or adjoins the site; the route and its margin are protected.

Also on the record

Inside the Bideford built-up area.

Not affected

Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 3 October 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: Torridge
Application type: Full Application
Postcode: EX39 2HS
Received: 12 Dec 2025
Validated: 18 Dec 2025
Ward: Bideford North
Parish: Bideford
Case officer: Show
Target decision: 6 Mar 2026
Decision: Application Approved
Decision date: 6 Mar 2026
Decision level: Delegated Decision
Applicant: Show
Agent: OCR Architecture

How this decision compares

Decided in 78 days from validation, 23 days slower than Torridge's median of 55 for full applications. Approved, as 97% of full applications here are.

This one78d

Council55d

UK56d

68%decided within 8 weeks

97%approved

220decided in the last year

Plota live figures for full applications decided by Torridge in the last twelve months, from validation. Torridge decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

45 neighbours consulted · Last counted 3 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Neighbours: 19 Dec 2025
Consultation: 6 Mar 2026
Comments by: 20 Mar 2026
Site or press notice: 22 Dec 2025
Committee: 5 Mar 2026
Statutory expiry: 12 Feb 2026
Env. assessment: No

Torridge

Planning Authority Score

7.6/10

Good

#40 of 296 councils

Relevant to this application:

Change of use

Torridge is faster than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #55 out of 296. Householder applications are more likely to be approved here than most councils, with a 98% approval rate vs 90% nationally.

More permissive than most councils

98% approved vs 90% nationally

These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance

Torridge decision statistics

Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026

87%

Overall approval rate

Above avg (87%) #184 of 296

98%

Householder approved

Above avg (90%) #25 of 296

78%

Decided in 8 weeks

Above avg (63%) #55 of 296

38%

Extended time limit

Below avg (41%) #133 of 296

72%

Minor dwellings approved

155 decided (1-9 homes)

85%

Major dwellings approved

13 decided (10+ homes)

82%

Change of use approved

11 decided

554

Total decisions

71 refused in the year to March 2026