Award winning team supports CEG in securing planning for major development in Devon
21st January 2021
Walker Morris has acted for CEG Land Promotions Limited, supporting an industry leading property development promoter in successfully obtaining hybrid planning permission for a major development scheme in Devon.
The case, led by the Firm’s Planning & Environment Team, resulted in CEG securing full planning permission for building a part link road and vehicular access points to the development site at Newton Abbot.
CEG also secured outline planning permission for residential-led mixed-use development that incorporates infrastructure and associated development including demolition or conversion of existing farm buildings. The Langford Bridge scheme will comprise of up to 450 homes, a local centre of shops and offices and up to 22,000 square metres of employment land.
In acting for CEG, the experienced Planning & Environment Team at Walker Morris reviewed and advised on EIA documentation that was submitted in support of the application and on complex HRA issues relating to protected species, in particular the greater horseshoe bat.
The Team was involved in drafting, negotiating and setting a complex section 106 agreement with the local planning authority and the county council’s external legal advisors. In addition to typical boiler plate obligations, the section 106 agreement included obligations relating to provision of custom build dwellings within the site; marketing and delivery of employment land and a centre comprising of shops and offices; as well as safeguarding for future transfer to the county council land required for a new school, link road and a bridge.
Following the grant of planning permission the Team then successfully defended the threat of a legal challenge following the client being served with a pre-action protocol letter for judicial review.
Commenting on the case, Alison Ogley and Chris Slater, Partners at Walker Morris, said:
“We’re proud to have built such a strong relationship with CEG in recent years, they’ve got a track record of promoting impressive award-winning developments locally and nationally.
“This case demonstrates the strength and breadth of our Planning & Environment Team, which has national reach and provides advisory and litigation services to the same high standard. Our experienced team is in a unique position to understand and effectively address the ever-changing challenges of the planning system.”
Peter Stacey, Strategic Planning Consultant for the scheme, said:
“It has been a pleasure working with Walker Morris on this challenging project. Their professionalism, efficiency and expertise throughout has been exemplary.”
Ranked 8th in the 2020 edition of Planning Resource’s ‘Highest Rated Planning Law Firms’, the Planning & Environment team at Walker Morris is known for its work with high calibre national clients. Between them, the Team has dealt with around 30 planning appeals in the last two years, dealing with varied sectors such as waste and renewables, motorway services, residential, and retail schemes.
To read more about Walker Morris’ Planning & Environment services, click here.
