Dartmoor scheme with Co-op and drive-thru secures £2.1m for first phase

A retail development on the edge of Dartmoor National Park that includes a Co-op supermarket and drive-thru café has secured major funding.

Gloucestershire-based property company Blackfinch has provided a loan of more than £2m to support the first phase of the Dolbeare Meadow scheme in Ashburton.

Initial work will include a 4,300 sq ft Co-op convenience store, which is already pre-let, and "essential infrastructure". Plans for later stages include the drive-thru café, an electric vehicle charging park, and several business units.

The controversial scheme was approved in 2023, despite locals rai