SCORES of substantial sites in the Ottery parish- with scope for huge housing numbers- have been deemed ‘developable’ in a planning probe over land availability.

SCORES of substantial sites in the Ottery parish - with scope for huge housing numbers- have been deemed ‘developable’ in a planning probe over land availability.

Twenty-five plots that could accommodate 1,227 homes in Ottery, West Hill, Tipton and Alfington feature in a district council database of areas that have potential to be developed.

The Herald revealed last week how hopeful landowners initially submitted 64 sites totalling 370 acres of the parish to the authority as part of its Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA).

In Ottery, ten pieces of land from 25 put forward are “deliverable and developable”, according to an East Devon District Council (EDDC) assessment. Combined they could yield a whopping 833 homes.

Thirty-five acres of land at Barrack Farm could accommodate 344 dwellings, while plots west of Higher Thorne Farm in Cadhay Lane, in Gerway to the east and west of Sidmouth Road, and to the north of Chineway, could take on substantial housing numbers, says the database.

EDDC has insisted approval as ‘deliverable or developable’ does mean sites will automatically be handed planning permission in the future.

Community campaigners fear plots deemed deliverable will fast become the focus of planning applications.

“All this does is identify land owners’ intentions. They have put land forward and there is a huge amount of it,” said Councillor Roger Giles.

Three sites with estimated space for 69 homes in West Hill were selected from 16 suggested. Figures reveal Cooper Trust land to the south west of West Hill Road could yield 32 dwellings.

Four plots from eight in Tipton were judged appropriate with enough scope for 127 homes.

In Alfington and its surrounding areas, eight of the 15 sites put forward- which could accommodate 198 homes- were thought to be ‘deliverable’.

EDDC said it plans 250 new homes for Ottery, 50 for West Hill and 25 for Tipton in the next 15 years.

A council spokesperson said the authority was tasked by the government to establish a database of sites that could be developed, in theory, if it wished to do so.

The spokesman added the SHLAA does not indicate planning permission will be granted for new housing, and does not pre-empt future plan making or related decisions.