The team behind a scheme to redevelop the Riverside Boatyard in Teignmouth will continue pursuing the project despite Teignbridge District Council planners refusing planning permission for a second time.

Teignbridge turned down the latest plans to redevelop the boatyard on Bishopsteignton Road last Tuesday (September 23).

Teignbridge planners cited multiple concerns, notably ecological impact, flood risk, and heritage.

The applicants, Teignmouth Maritime Properties (TMP), which owns the site, and planning agent MJS Planning and Design said they were deeply disappointed with the decision describing it as a ‘missed opportunity’ for Teignmouth.

They are now considering various legal options although they remain open to revising the plans through further discussions with Teignbridge.

‘Our commitment to Teignmouth is unchanged,’ TMP and MJS announced in a joint statement. The applicants vowed to ‘engage constructively to find a solution that delivers the jobs, community spaces and investment our town needs while respecting the environment and unique character of Teignmouth’.

The scheme had already received the unanimous backing of Teignmouth Town Council and dozens of local residents had written supporting letters

TMP said its vision was to regenerate the derelict boatyard with a mix of commercial, residential and community uses. Its proposal featured nine new industrial units for local businesses, nine holiday-let ‘beach huts’ to boost tourism and reduce pressure on the rental market, and six, much-needed new homes that would make the regeneration of the site viable economically viable.

Plans also included a new river wall and flood defences, as well as community facilities such as a classroom space, a food bank, a community hub and offices for non-profit groups.

The scheme would have created over 100 jobs and added more than £5 million per year to the local economy, the developers said. There would also have been significant contributions through the planning system with over £750,000 pledged towards local infrastructure, around £180,000 for affordable housing, and approximately £60,000 for ecological enhancements.

‘The project was designed to deliver lasting benefits. It’s regrettable that these opportunities have been turned away,’ TMP and MJS said.

While acknowledging the Teignbridge’s responsibility to consider issues like wildlife and flooding, the applicants believed many of the objections could have been easily resolved with further technical work or minor changes rather than an outright refusal. They noted that new policies in Teignbridge’s emerging Local Plan are expected to support redevelopment of brownfield sites. like the Riverside Boatyard, even in sensitive coastal areas, which they feel should have been given far greater weight.

Planning officers argued that the redevelopment, which included building new homes on reclaimed estuary land, posed a risk to protected habitats and flood safety. The official decision notice raised concerns about harm to the Teign Estuary’s intertidal wildlife, particularly blue mussel beds, and questioned whether sufficient flood defences and drainage measures were in place. It also raised concerns that the project’s scale and design might affect the undeveloped coastline and could even have potential to cause harm to the nearby Grade II-listed Shaldon Bridge. Other issues listed by the council were a lack of affordable housing provision and concerns over meeting climate change and water quality requirements.

The developers said they will carefully review the council’s detailed reasons for refusal and remain committed to improving the site.