Business leaders welcome £12m Cranbrook boost
BUSINESS leaders have expressed their delight after plans to build a new town near Exeter received a £12 million boost.
The South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) has approved an investment to kickstart the development at Cranbrook, the new town planned to the east of Exeter.
The news comes after fears that the Cranbrook project was to be put on hold due to the recession and the downturn in the housing market.
As reported in the Echo last year, the various developers involved said that they were committed to the project but would not pursue their plans in the current financial climate.
Work is now due to start on the development near Rockbeare in March next year.
Cranbrook will consist of 2,900 homes in the first phase and around 6,500 in total.
Proposals for the town will include schools, a new railway station, community facilities and a biomass energy centre, which was last week awarded £2.5 million of Government funding.
The £12 million investment will help pay for a package of infrastructure projects which will allow the first homes to be built as well as releasing employment land to create thousands of jobs.
The investment is part of a package of support from the public sector which aims to deliver one of the first and largest ‘low-carbon’ developments in the UK.
It will make a major contribution to the SWRDA’s ambitions for a low-carbon economy in the South West.
The £12 million investment includes £3 million towards a £10 million Clyst Honiton bypass, £4 million for the main road serving the first phase of Cranbrook and linking to its new railway station, and £5 million towards a new primary school serving Cranbrook.
The windfall comes from the SWRDA’S regional infrastructure fund and the Department of Transport.
It brings the total investment in the East of Exeter area through the fund to £22 million.
The investment follows last year’s SWRDA approval of £10 million towards a new rail station for Cranbrook and improvements to junctions 29 and 30 of the M5.
Together, the investments will allow for the initial development of 2,900 homes at Cranbrook and 75 hectares of land to support businesses.
This will help create up to 4,500 jobs and enable key projects to proceed including the Skypark business park and Exeter Science Park.
Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, said: “This is absolutely phenomenal news. We have been keeping our fingers crossed that the SWRDA would be able to retain some funding allocation, with their reduced budget, for this project.
“Together with the money that has already been allocated for the improvements on the M5 and the A30, it has all come together to make a fantastic package.
“In practical terms, it will create thousands of jobs in the Exeter area — in the initial stages, construction-related work, and jobs for the future. It is a fantastic announcement.”
East Devon District Council leader Sara Randall Johnson said: “I am absolutely delighted that Cranbrook has been recognised as an important delivery of local homes for local people and is receiving the funding that’s needed to kickstart this project. This is a long-term plan and the financial recognition we have had now needs to be repeated in the future, because this isn’t the full amount of funding we are going to need to make sure Cranbrook delivers 11,000 jobs for local people and vitally needed homes.”
Derek Phillips, chairman of the Exeter Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is fantastic news because it now allows this very important development to proceed, and it’s much needed, of course, not only to provide more housing, but also a large amount of affordable homes.
“It also fits in with the development, which is going to take place, of the Skypark and science park.
“We have been asking the Government for help for some time, so this is very welcome news.
“The project had been delayed because of the recession and housing market, so we haven’t had the money to start things like the Clyst Honiton bypass, because the money wasn’t there.”
A spokesman for the Cranbrook New Community Partners said: “Delivery of the Cranbrook scheme is challenging, particularly in the current very difficult economic climate.
“Without the investment support it would simply not be achievable at this time.
“The partners remain hopeful that with the recent announcements we are now very close indeed to achieving this crucial objective and being able to launch Cranbrook.”
William Mumford, Devon County Council cabinet member for economic regeneration and strategic planning, said: “I am extremely pleased to hear this news.
“Cranbrook is a key investment area for Exeter and Devon and this boost for the road network and a new primary school for Cranbrook is very welcome. The Devon economy is one of our top priorities for the council and a strong partnership between us, the districts and SWRDA are key to driving projects like this forward.”
Construction of the planned Clyst Honiton bypass will pave the way for Skypark, Exeter Science Park, the Cranbrook new community and a freight terminal. Nick Pring, chairman of the Clyst Honiton Parish Council, said: “We have been waiting quite a long time, hoping there would be advance money from the SWRDA to get the infrastructure going — particularly the Clyst Honiton bypass, as it directs traffic travelling to Exeter Airport away from the village. It secures a bit of peace for the village, rather than it returning to the busy road it was in the past.”
Ian Piper, SWRDA director of development and regeneration, said: “This investment shows how we can help tackle the effects of the recession, plan for long-term growth and build a low-carbon economy which fits with our own low-carbon aspirations and follows on from our designation last week as the UK’s first low-carbon economic area.”









15 Comments
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by student321
Friday, January 20 2012, 8:55AM
“Do you live near Exeter? If so you will know about the Cranbrook development. I am a final year geography student from the University of Gloucestershire (originally from Devon!), as part of my dissertation about developments in rural areas; Cranbrook is a case study
Please will you be very kind and give up two mintues of your time to answer a very short questionnaire?
Please copy and paste the following link into your browser:
http://tinyurl.com/8xoz3q5
Many thanks.”
by mike, exeter
Tuesday, July 28 2009, 8:10AM
“great news jobs for the construction industry and houses for familys its win win all round”
by TW, Exeter
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:30PM
“The location for this 'new' town of Cranbrook is a floodplain. The area floods quite frequently!
Why is this being ignored?”
by Paul Turnip, EXETER
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:17PM
“Excellent news! Now the immigrants will have somewhere to stay , and lots of jobs for them , and with a school and the other amenities , then plenty of benefits also . Local people and firms will, as usual, be at the bottom of the lists, they will expect too much ,after all they're the ones who will be paying for it all.!”
by barry shirr, exeter
Monday, July 27 2009, 9:13PM
“Get on there, destroy that green belt ! Build umpteen more cheap and nasty, characterless housing estates with walls of paper, fixtures and fittings made of tin foil, and not a tree for miles, then fill them full of pre school criminals and drug addicts ! It was proven years ago after the failed attempts at 50s high rises that societys need a focal point in order to stop descending into chaos - just slapping a load of housing estates up around a shoddy concrete shopping mall is an insult to humanity.”
by k barwick, clyst honiton
Monday, July 27 2009, 6:52PM
“it would be ok if the work goes to local companys but i suspect there will be a influx of eastern europeans the comment about the water table could be correct i deal with local farmers and a few who no the land have said this project will be trouble anyone who is thinking about buying i would suggest they do there homework”
by David Topple, Exeter
Monday, July 27 2009, 5:51PM
“When are people in this stupid country going to grasp the fact that the growth so beloved of the people quoted in the Echo report solves NOTHING.
Some years ago the billionaire businessman James Goldsmith pointed out that in a recent 20 year period the French economy grew 80 per cent and unemployment in that same space of time increased from 420,000 to 5.1 million.
Eight years ago management guru Charles Handy wrote that 'all the world's trade in 1949 happens in a single day today, as do all the foreign exchange dealings in 1979 and all the phone calls made in 1984'; yet strangely we STILL have mass unemployment and there are STILL those who say "we need more growth".
You people are nuts.”
by Aly, Exeter
Monday, July 27 2009, 4:21PM
“About time, more jobs local people housed and do mean I hope many of the thousands waiting for affordable housing. I also hope that the housing benefits dept dont get you evicted because they dont know how to do there job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still good news homes and jobs”
by Peter, Dawlish
Monday, July 27 2009, 2:06PM
“Without putting mathematics into the melting pot, in my lifetime Exeter has more than trebled in size, out lying districts have also had their fair share of expansion - for what or whose benefit?
There was no Countess Wear estate, Beacon Heath/Stokehill, Whipton Barton, Thackery Road, much of Exwick is new, as is Redhills. There are many more private estates gone up for those that believe they are another species on this planet and wish to be apart from the rest as was much of the private householders that were there then before this expansion started, (first and second class)
There was no Marsh Barton Trading estate to speak of and no Sowton, there was none of the smaller industrial estates like Haven Banks and many pockets dotted in and around Exeter. The hub of industry in that area was the canal basin and what a hub.
If the motor industry really goes bottom's up - and the effects of the recession hasn't really been felt here yet, how would Exeter cope with loosing so many businesses in one swoop?
It would appear that there is an insatiable appetite to expand and to hell with the consequences. We are fast running out of what we depend on to sustain what we have now ¿ will this expansion mean getting to that point much quicker or doesn't anyone care?
The more you build, then more land is removed from producing what we all depend on.
I do hope many readers watched the Richard Dimbleby Lectures the other week, in which his Royal Highness the heir to the throne ¿ Prince Charles, spoke about the dangers to this planet and the way of life as we now know it ¿ you can no longer get it through the BBC iplayer. I wish I had the transcript?
We are running into chaos on an unprecedented scale. There is always a plus and a debit side to much of what we do ¿ and how much longer can it go on?
There is too much greed, individualism and consumerism. Is this credit crunch the beginning of a change that we all desperately need?”
by TONY TAN, ST THOMAS EXETER
Monday, July 27 2009, 2:02PM
“There will be a school and many other things in this new exciting venture.
also big plans to form a rugby club. i think this new town might be Devons hidden jewl in years to come”