Teignmouth Town Council has withdrawn its planning application for the new youth group units at the bottom of Bitton Park in an attempt to bring the project to fruition.

Plans to replace the cadet and scout huts and install ten storage units were submitted to Teignbridge District Council in July last year.

The town council had hoped to quickly proceed with the project to replace the outdated huts and provide additional facilities for youth clubs.

However, a Teignbridge District Council decision on the application was repeatedly delayed. Teignmouth Town Council have complained that the goalposts were continually moved with multiple Teignbridge District Council conservation officers asking numerous questions and making additional demands.

Among the issues raised by conservation officers were: the proximity of the units to the Grade II* listed Bitton House; the inclusion of ten storage containers in the plans; and the requirement for a bat survey.

Teignmouth Town Council argued that the storage containers were a crucial part of the project and that the income from the commercial rents from the storage facilities would subsidise costs for community groups.

When Teignmouth Town Council attempted to overcome the obstacles by ‘calling in’ the application so it could be determined by the Teignbridge planning department and other senior decision makers’, Teignbridge denied the request because the application had been submitted more than three weeks previously.

Teignmouth Town Council will now submit a new planning application, which it plans to ‘call in’ to avoid ‘further conservation officer involvement and with the hope to progress this application to a satisfactory conclusion by senior decision makers’, explained Teignmouth Mayor councillor Cate Williams.

‘Rest assured, Teignmouth Town Council is endeavouring to resolve this project for our residents and community groups,’ Cate said.

But, she warned, if Teignbridge continue to thwart Teignmouth Town Council’s efforts, ‘a decision may ultimately need to be made as to whether or not this application should continue.’

‘If that fails, the community loses out because there will be no community units, notwithstanding the cost to the public purse, and the land will need to go back to Teignbridge District Council.’

Responding to recent social media criticism of the town council relating to the community units and provision of youth facilities in the town, Cate said: ‘Rather than criticising TTC unfairly, its remaining town councillors who are commenting on social media, and members of the community need to get behind the plans and focus the attention on where it needs to be i.e. the decision makers at TDC.’

The site at the bottom of Bitton Park was set aside for the youth of the town under the previous Teignmouth Urban District Council.

The planned buildings, which, if they go ahead, will increase the space available and potentially accommodate additional groups, will be built using steel profiled sheeting instead of the existing timber cladding and will include solar panels on the roof to ensure sustainability.