With an apparent 21 million vehicles passing through Mid Devon each year, a proposed leisure development off Junction 27 of the M5 could attract up to 16,000 visitors a day, say proponents of the scheme.

The Westwood development has the potential to become a gateway into Devon and Cornwall, and will feature a range of attractions to pull visitors in from the main thoroughfare of the M5 motorway.

The 230-hectare (2.3 km sq) will boast a large retail centre and locally-sourced food produce court – ‘A taste of Devon’ – as well as having a major focus on sports and outdoor activities. These include a woodland cycleway and a sports village.

A further feature of the development will be a ‘Wave Garden’, a £3m (€3.77m) surf park with an artificial wave generator which will be onsite. This will be accompanied by a 1,800 seat venue for commercial and leisure use.

Although Westwood’s developers have said the site will create 3,500 jobs, there are concerns about how it will impact on the surrounding communities. Speaking about the development in January, MP Ben Bradshaw commented: “It is exactly the kind of unsustainable out of town shopping development that has led to the decline of town and city centres in other parts of the country.”

Local councils in the area are also concerned about the economic and social impact such a big scheme will have for the area as a whole. Cullompton Town Council in Devon has suggested moving the site to Junction 28, just a few miles down the road and blending it with a wider residential development, to ensure economic stability.