Overhaul of '˜dangerous' road

Councillors opted for a site visit before agreeing to the application, for three touring van pitches, three glamping pod pitches, two camping pitches, a treehouse and a lodge.

The scheme prompted 25 letters of complaint and eight letters of support, with the objections chiefly based on concerns over highways safety, namely the ‘inadequate’ access road, which has ‘dangerous blind corners’, is narrow and sections often flood.

The county council’s highways department raised no objections, subject to conditions, which included putting passing places along the road.

The site is in the Shilbottle ward of planning committee chairman Coun Trevor Thorne.

At last Thursday’s planning meeting, he said: “I do have sympathy with the objectors, but I feel that this application should be approved, with strong improvements to highways.

“I welcome the fact that we have got improved visibility and we are putting in passing places, and I would like to include the condition that we ask the applicant to improve drainage on the bend because it regularly floods.

“I feel the devil is in the detail with this application and I would like to suggest that the highways improvements come through me, as the chairman of planning, and I will oversee the last bit of detail to make sure the highways improvements are right, and I will sanction them.

“We have got to get this absolutely right, because the highways issue is of paramount importance.”

Eight councillors voted in favour, while three abstained.