There is a new proposal for an extremely large landfill at Kennford.

https://planning.devon.gov.uk/PlanDisp.aspx?AppNo=DCC/4268/2021

There are already significant questions in my view over the handling of the Landfill application for 350,000m3 at Lower Hare Farm, Whitestone, where Devon County Development Committee members were told in December 2020, there was an urgent need for landfill capacity. This was agreed to, despite the valiant efforts of our county councillor Alan Connett. Only a few months later 250,000 m3 of extra capacity was “found” by Devon County Council at the existing Trood lane site, with very little impact, and in fact a positive effect on Teignbridge’s future redevelopment of the site as public green space, which will now have shallower gradients making it more accessible. The development committee were not told about this additional capacity at Trood lane at the time of approving Lower Hare, yet the discovery was made public only a few months later.

The proposal at Kenn is for a whopping 1,200,000 m3. It is interesting to note that pre-application advice for the Kenn landfill site is dated May 2020. 7 months before the decision was made on Lower Hare farm. The development committee were not told in Dec 2020 about any possible site at Kennford either, but clearly the county council would have had knowledge that an alternative site more than three times bigger was a possibility.

I can also confirm that Alan Connett has twice asked for an extension on the consultation on the Kennford proposal which is only until 5/2/22 and this has been refused by the conservative administration at county hall.

I urge all concerned residents and parish councils to make their own comments through the website link above. Your comments carry more weight if they are based on planning policy.

We will do all we can as councillors, but we need the support of good quality comments from the community.