Devon County Council has deferred a decision to sell a 1.5 acre plot in the grounds of County Hall following a campaign by local residents and councillors.
The sale was proposed by the county cabinet in October 2023 after buildings known as the Matford huts which occupied part of the plot were demolished.
A January decision by the county council Land and Property Committee to dispose of an area of public open space surrounding the demolished plot in order to facilitate its sale for development was referred to cabinet following complaints from local councillors that the decision was faulty.
The committee report had incorrectly said that the 0.91 acres of public open space to be included in the sale represented 4.65% of the green space at County Hall when it actually amounts to 7.4% of the 12.5 acre grounds.
Despite 180 objections in two rounds of public consultation and a local campaign, Devon County Council leader Julian Brazil said that it remained the council’s intention to sell the land in order to help deliver affordable housing.
The cabinet agreed that the sale decision should be deferred in order that covenants and/or contractual obligations could be implemented to ensure that site redevelopment would provide social housing, care leaver or key worker accommodation.
The city council, meanwhile, has said it wants a three-storey block built on the site to provide 27 flats, twice as many as the county council intends.
