Land At Grid Reference 244097 103389 Highampton Devon Data via plota.co.uk

Pending 1/0744/2026/FUL
Date received
28 Sept 2026
Date validated
6 Oct 2026

Description

Change of use of land to site 8no. holiday lodges and associated works Data via plota.co.uk

Last checked

Decision outlook

Plota predicts a decision around 1 Dec 2026, from Torridge's recent changes of use.

Day 3 of the 56-day target. Torridge usually decides changes of use by day 56.

Day 353 days to the 56-day target
62%decided within 8 weeks
95%approved
74decided in the last year

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Torridge in the last twelve months, from validation. Torridge decision record →

Site constraints 4

Agricultural land, grade 5
Very poor quality farmland, not best and most versatile. Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s), which most planning maps still show, had this area as grade 4. The predicted grade is Defra's current estimate; only a site survey settles it.
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.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Radon affected area, class 5
An estimated 10 to 30% of homes reach the radon action level. Indicative for the 1 km square, which takes the highest class found in it; a radon test gives the answer for a building.
From the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency indicative atlas. Under building regulations, as the BRE guide BR 211 (2023) sets out, new buildings and extensions need basic radon protection from class 3 in England and Wales and from class 2 in Scotland, and full protection from class 5. The class at the site itself, from the detailed BGS map, decides which.
UKHSA radon ↗
Also on the record
Nature improvement area: Northern Devon.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 8 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) 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.

Work with planning data?

Every application in Torridge - and every UK council - as a live feed, an API, or a bulk CSV export.

About Plota's data service
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