A WEST Devon pony rehabilitation charity has won conditional planning approval to construct a new base in Yelverton.

South West Equine Protection submitted a revised planning application to provide stabling, an office, workshop, stores, an indoor school, a round pen, a sand school, hay store, hard standings, parking, creation of vehicular access and associated landscaping for use as a pony rescue and rehabilitation centre in a field at Higher Hellingtown in Yeo Lane.

The charity, which currently uses three separate sites in Yelverton, originally put in an application in 2012 but after some objections, a revised application was submitted — it received 20 letters of objection and 47 of support.

At West Devon Borough Council's planning committee meeting last week, Gareth Pinwell, acting as agent for the objectors, highlighted their concerns. He said a great weight should be given to help green areas and the development was 'oversized' and 'in the wrong place in an area of outstanding natural beauty'.

He said the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) on planning permission for major developments in AONBs was that they should be refused save for exceptional circumstance.

'There are no exceptional circumstances that arise here to allow this development in an AONB and no public interest is generated from it.

'The case officer states that ponies are an integral part of tourism in this area, but the charity is taking ponies off the moor. The road leading to the site is not suitable and not designed for that purpose and consolidating three sites into one will increase traffic that is not suitable for a country lane.'

Buckland Monachorum ward member Cllr Philip Sanders mirrored Mr Pinwell's concerns: 'I think officers have got it right that it's a finely balanced decision. It is a benefit to a charity but also it is a significant development.

'Were we looking at a provision of stabling, we'd say it is agricultural so there would be no issue.

'However, it's currently pasture land and what is being proposed is a large building, a large area of concrete and a large sand school. Essentially we are being asked to open a business in pasture land in an AONB. This does contravene what we would normally allow in an AONB.'

Mr Sanders said he could not see a public need to override the local policies.

Applicant and founder of the charity Maureen Rolls said the majority of ponies they cared for come from Dartmoor so it was 'imperative' the charity located near the moor: 'We have been looking for a single site to fulfil our needs for a while. As a charity our money is limited but we have invested money to create accurate plans for this.

'This will provide sufficient land to cater to our needs and our future needs. We resubmitted the application taking in all the previous comments.'

Cllr Diana Moyse said Hellingtown Farm was formerly a commercial stud with horses coming and going regularly.

She said: 'I would support what the officer has said. Rehabilitation takes a lot of time and patience and they need the buildings to support it. I think it should be on one site. I understand about the concerns of it being in an area of outstanding natural beauty, however, after going on a site visit, I think the trees will do well to screen it.'

Mrs Rolls told ward member Cllr David Wilde that the charity had no plans to increase the size of the development.

Cllr Bob Baldwin asked if the three current sites used by the charity were within the AONB. Mrs Rolls informed him they were.

After saying he was mindful to recommend refusal because of such a large development in an AONB, he decided to support the application as it would be a consolidation of something that already existed within the AONB and 'there must be some advantage to reducing traffic' from between three sites to just one.

The committee approved the application by five votes to four.