Amended plans to build a ‘low-energy’ housing development and relocate allotment gardens in Honiton has been fiercely opposed by town planners.

Midweek Herald: Prospective drawings of the ammended development at Clapper Lane, Honiton. Picture: East Devon District CouncilProspective drawings of the ammended development at Clapper Lane, Honiton. Picture: East Devon District Council (Image: Archant)

ContainerSpace has submitted redesigned plans to build the homes at Clapper Lane in a horseshoe-shaped terrace, accompanied by a shared car parking area.

In its reserved matters application, the developer said: “An essential aspect of the development is that it provides low energy housing.”

It added: “This small scheme of ten houses is intended to be an exemplar of sustainable low energy development and will complement the… aspirations for East Devon to become the greenest area in Britain.”

Each proposed home is a two-storey, two-bedroom dwelling, served by one parking space per property. The scheme includes four visitor parking spaces and provides further spaces for allotment users.

Midweek Herald: An artist's impression of how the finished development would look.An artist's impression of how the finished development would look. (Image: Archant)

On the southern part of the proposed site, nine ‘half plot’ allotments will be provided.

The amended plans were debated for nearly an hour by members of Honiton Town Council’s planning committee on Tuesday evening (May 8).

Cllr Nicolette Macve said one of her main objections would be using Clapper Lane to access the development. She added: “It would be totally unsuitable.

“I have taken a big van down that lane – it’s ridiculous… More traffic down that road would be insupportable.”

Midweek Herald: Prospective drawings of the ammended development at Clapper Lane, Honiton. Picture: East Devon District CouncilProspective drawings of the ammended development at Clapper Lane, Honiton. Picture: East Devon District Council (Image: Archant)

Cllr Macve said the current site is a ‘lovely place’, adding: “The conservation report does say that although there are birds and animals living there, the space itself if nothing special and spaces like that exist all over Devon. Actually, the truth is wherever they do exist, they are being tarmacked over and built upon - especially in town centres”

She added: “If you wanted to live in a concrete jungle where every bit of green space had been tarmacked over and built on, we wouldn’t be living in Honiton. I can’t support this at all.”

Cllr John Zarczynski said he had ‘never supported’ the plans from day one and he ‘never will’.

He said: “Clapper Lane is already an accident waiting to happen. This will just be compounding the problem even more. I just think it would be an absolute disgrace if this development goes ahead.”

Cllr Zarczynski said the proposed homes ‘don’t fit in with the area’, adding: “I think they are ugly, I think they are absolutely horrible.”

Councillors voted to object the plans.

East Devon District Council will decide the application’s fate.