Nearly £10m granted for East Devon community projects

Nearly £10million of major infrastructure projects across East Devon, including a new school, healthcare facilities, transport links, and sports facilities, have secured funding.

Several community projects submitted bids for a portion of the money from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), with a total funding ask of £17million, significantly exceeding the available funding of approximately £11 million, resulting in a heavily oversubscribed fund.

In total 7 of the 12 bids, with a combined funding request of £9.934million, were approved by East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Strategic Planning Committee on Monday, 19 May.

What is the CIL?

CIL is a charge collected from new developments to help fund infrastructure that supports local communities. It is used to enhance education, healthcare, transport, leisure, and environmental projects, mitigating the impact of housing growth.

Projects Approved for Funding:

Tithebarn/Mosshayne Primary School (£4.5m)
A new primary school will be built to support families in the growing Tithebarn community, reducing pressure on nearby schools and ensuring that local children can go to school close to where they live. Funding is conditional on detailed costings from Devon County Council.

Pinhoe Surgery Extension (£800k)
An extension to Pinhoe Surgery will provide six additional clinical rooms to accommodate rising patient numbers from new housing developments.

Honiton Sports Provision Enhancements (£601k)
Honiton will benefit from new football and rugby facilities, including youth football pitches, a floodlit 3G pitch, and rugby club upgrades, boosting local sports participation.

Exmouth Rugby Club Changing Room Extension (£100k)
The expansion will add two RFU-compliant changing rooms to support the growing number of women’s and girls’ rugby teams, strengthening opportunities for female participation in the sport.

Clyst Meadows Country Park, Broadclyst (£1.383m)
A new 10-hectare country park will provide much-needed green space and wildlife protection to mitigate impacts on the protected habitats of the Exe Estuary and Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve.

Mosshayne Lane to Station Road Multi-Use Path (£1.8m)
A 1.5km off-road walking, wheeling, and cycling route will improve active travel links between Cranbrook and Exeter, and beyond, promoting sustainable transport.

London Road Footpath and Cycle Enhancements (£750k)
This project will fill critical gaps in the Cranbrook footpath and cycle network, ensuring safer pedestrian and cycling routes between key community areas.

The supported bids benefit from match funding from other sources but the monies from CIL will ensure that these can be delivered for the benefit of the community.

Cllr Todd Olive, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning, said:

"This funding ensures our infrastructure keeps pace with East Devon’s growth. These projects will deliver real benefits—better schools, healthcare, transport, and community facilities for residents.

"This funding decision follows a thorough and transparent process, with major infrastructure providers invited to bid and rigorous evaluation by the CIL Members Working Party and in line with the council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

“Devon County Council and NHS Devon were engaged directly to provide further details on key projects, ensuring clarity and accountability.

“The Strategic Planning Committee carefully assessed each bid based on need, deliverability, and value for money, leading to the approval of seven impactful projects. Residents will be informed, and all bidders—successful or not—will receive feedback on their proposals.

“The hard work of the newly established planning obligations team has made this all possible.

“While this is a crucial step in dealing with some of the infrastructure constraints arising from growth in our area, we know there is more to do. We will continue to exercise our limited planning powers to secure local infrastructure alongside development wherever possible, and are working to produce a comprehensive masterplan and infrastructure delivery strategy for the second new community proposed in our emerging Local Plan.”

To ensure flexibility for future investments, £1 million from the CIL fund will be retained for future strategic projects.

Next Steps

All successful bidders will now work with the council to finalise funding agreements, with projects set to begin implementation in the coming months.

See the EDDC report, for more information on the individual projects.