The latest planning application for the Sidford Business Park has been ‘reluctantly approved’ by East Devon district councillors - because there was no scope for them to refuse it.

Outline planning permission has already been granted for a development with a footprint of 8,445 square metres, following a successful appeal by the applicants in 2019 against the district council’s refusal.

The application that went before the planning committee this morning (Wednesday, December 15) related to the dimensions of the buildings, but this had also been considered during the appeal, with no objections raised.

So although many of the councillors are unhappy with plans to build two office blocks 7.5 metres high at the front of the business park, close to people’s homes, the layout and position of the buildings had already been deemed acceptable at the appeal stage.

Councillors at today’s meeting expressed frustration that there was no opportunity for them to object to the application, which was recommended for approval.

Cllr Mike Howe said: “There are no grounds for refusal, the scale is set. I wish I could see any scope for change.

“If we did refuse we would have costs against us for acting unreasonably.”

Cllr Eileen Wragg, chair of the committee, said: “We are between a rock and a hard place.”

The agent for the applicants, Joseph Marchant, was asked if they would consider relocating the tall buildings at the front of the site to a less prominent part of it. He said they had been requested to put the office blocks there because they would be ‘more akin to what people want to see’ than the workshops and industrial units in other parts of the business park.

When the application was put to the vote, four of the councillors said they gave ‘reluctant approval’, two abstained, one voted against and three supported it.

Despite the district council’s concerns about the development, and the strong objections from local residents and Sidmouth Town Council, the applicants have always argued that there is a need locally for the new business park, which is expected to create 250 jobs.