First phase at Langford Bridge approved

18 December 2023

Teignbridge Councillors has given planning permission for 40 new high quality homes in Newton Abbot in a boost for aspiring local homeowners.

Persimmon Homes South West secured approval (14th December) at a meeting of the Council’s planning committee for the first phase its proposed scheme on land off Kingskerswell Road at Langford Bridge.

To support Teignbridge’s declaration of a climate emergency, the development will be a no-gas site with zero-carbon ready homes powered by ground-source heat pumps. Secure cycle storage, EV charging points, and high-quality materials will further enhance the sustainability of the site.

The proposed site was allocated in the local plan and would help meet Teignbridge District Council’s five-year housing land supply while addressing local housing needs, with 1,033 local people currently waiting on the authority’s housing list.

As part of Persimmon’s broader contribution to the local community, the housebuilder has introduced a ‘local homes guarantee’ which will provide people living within the Council area first refusal on a majority of properties at the site for the first eight weeks upon launch.

The five star builder will also transfer eight quality new homes to a social housing provider for affordable rent and shared ownership for local people. Additional expenditure within Newton Abbot will also be provided to support local services and maintain the vitality of the town.

Commenting on the approval, Persimmon Homes South West’s Managing Director, Dan Heathcote, said:

“We are delighted to secure approval for our new site at Langford Bridge on the outskirts of Newton Abbot.

“Persimmon is proud of our record in supporting local first-time buyers, families, and young people to buy their own home, and our plans for this high-quality, zero-carbon ready site in Newton Abbot are no different.

“As part of our commitment to the local community, we will transfer eight of the properties to a local housing association provider and implement a local homes guarantee which will see us ring-fence the majority of homes at the site for local people to reserve for the first eight weeks.

“The no-gas, zero-carbon ready site will deliver on a number of key sustainability priorities and importantly help meet Teignbridge District Council’s five-year housing land supply, with an appropriate combination of properties that will help address the housing needs of the local area.

“On behalf of Persimmon South West, I would like to thank our project team, partners and key stakeholders at the Council for their assistance with this application. We look forward to progressing with the scheme as we seek to deliver quality, sustainable homes and leave a positive lasting legacy for local people at the Langford Bridge site.”

The high-quality design for the site will retain and enhance the significant ecological interests and will invest in sustainable drainage and transport infrastructure.

The scheme will also see the delivery of a new bus route to serve the development, and a financial contribution will be made to assist in setting up the additional bus service.

The development will also provide public open space to allow residents to roam freely, secures the retention and maintenance of important wildlife corridors, and delivers significant biodiversity enhancements, with bird boxes installed and bat roosts provided adjacent to the site.