Housing estate developer stakes claim to city playing field

Luxury housing estate developer, Burrington Estates, made clear its intention to build on a St Leonard’s playing field on Wednesday.  

Surprising local residents, it placed large signs advertising its “Homes of Distinction” around the field, opposite the main road junctions.

The playing field is currently owned by the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education but Burrington Estates were granted an option to purchase it in January.  The sale is part of the school’s move to new premises in Exmouth and its site to the south of the Topsham Road has already been granted planning permission for development into a large housing estate.

No such permission has been granted for the field on the north side of the road and the City Council’s planning department has not been approached about any development.

The greenfield site, which is called Mount Radford Lawn, is doubly protected by planning restrictions.  As part of the St Leonards Conservation Area, the open space provided by the field has to be preserved and any trees that surround it are automatically under tree preservation orders.

However, as the Deaf Academy's sports pitch, which is also regularly used by The Maynard and the Isca School of English, it is under the statutory protection of Sports England.  This legislation protects against any loss or reduction of playing fields and the subsequent opportunities for sporting activity.

In 2017, Burrington Estates successfully overrode the City Council’s rejection of planning permission for their EXIII housing estate development on the Topsham Gap greenbelt.