Protect Willand – Legal Action (Silver Street 130 house Development)
Protect Willand – Legal Action (Silver Street 130 house Development)
Latest: May 15, 2026
⚖️ Legal Campaign Update: More Time to Build Our Fund!
Our community is facing a pattern of large-scale housing developments being approved without the infrastructure needed to support them.
Over 500 residents have already signed a petition opposing the 130 house Silver Street development in Willand. Despite this, the scheme continues to progress.
We are now taking the next step: pursuing a Judicial Review to challenge the decision-making process and ensure planning law and policy are properly applied.
This is not about stopping development — it is about ensuring it is lawful, sustainable, and supported by infrastructure.
Why we need your support:
- To fund specialist planning and legal advice
- To prepare and submit a Judicial Review challenge
- To ensure community concerns are properly represented
We are aiming to raise £5,000 to cover the next stage of legal costs.
Initial legal work has already been commissioned and personally funded to get this process started. We now need wider community support to continue.
This campaign forms part of the wider “Protect Culm Valley = Build Infrastructure First” initiative, highlighting cumulative overdevelopment across Willand and the surrounding Culm Valley area — including a further proposed 170-home development near Halfway House, Willand, within Halberton Parish.
Every contribution, large or small, will help ensure our community has a fair and properly represented voice.
Together, we can push for responsible, infrastructure-led planning.
Toby Fernbank
Willand resident & Founder of Protect Culm Valley = Build Infrastructure First!
Paul ‘Toby’ Fernbank
May 15, 2026
⚖️ Legal Campaign Update: More Time to Build Our Fund!
Paul ‘Toby’ Fernbank
April 27, 2026
Thank you for your continued support!
We've made great, steady progress but we have an all-or-nothing deadline so we now need to lower the target to make sure we hit it and secure the funds in time.
We are now lowering the initial target to £2k. Your generous donation will be sent to the firm when we hit our new target. (If you would like to cancel your original pledge as it was originally based on a £5k target, please contact [email protected] within 3 days).
We still need your help to get up to the new target please!
Could you take two minutes to share on social media? and maybe email five friends with the link to the CrowdJustice page?"
'Together we can do more!'
Many thanks
Toby
Paul ‘Toby’ Fernbank
April 10, 2026
❗️ Crowdfunding is LIVE – Help Us Challenge the Irrational Planning Decision!
Hi 👋 everyone,
Great news – our crowdfunding campaign on the Justice site is now officially open!
We have reached 488 signatures on the petition and are so close to our first target of 500 – thank you to every single person who has signed and shared. Your support is building real momentum across the Culm Valley.
In the last 24 hours I have instructed a specialist solicitor to review our case over the weekend, with legal feedback expected early next week. We now urgently need your help to fund this initial legal work.
Why this matters: It is irrational for Mid Devon District Council to approve the 130-home Silver Street development (ref 25/01498/MOUT, resolved 11 March 2026) without first securing proper infrastructure. We fully support new homes so our sons and daughters can afford to stay in the valley we love — but not at the cost of overloaded roads, strained schools and GPs, inadequate drainage, and green spaces that remain empty promises.
The six-week judicial review window closes on Wednesday 22 April 2026 — the clock is ticking fast.
We are crowdfunding an initial £5,000 to cover urgent solicitor and barrister advice so we can properly assess the case and, if the grounds are strong, challenge the decision in the High Court.
Every donation counts. Whether £5, £10 or more, your contribution will directly help us hold MDDC to account and fight for rational, infrastructure-first planning.
Take a stand and let your voice be heard.
Protect our village and community!
Protect our sons and daughters’ future!
Help us make a positive, lasting change for the Culm Valley.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart — your support really does count.
Paul Toby Fernbank
Willand Resident & Culm Valley Campaign Lead
Links:
- Crowdfunding: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/protectwilland/
- Petition: https://c.org/gdMCZPFyRw – help us hit 500 then push to 1,000!
- Private Facebook group: Protect Culm Valley – Infrastructure First (for updates and coordination)
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