DEVELOPERS of a controversial scheme to build a housing development at St Andrew's Road in Tavistock have offered the town council a patch of land for community allotment use if the planning application goes through.

Persimmon Homes is currently preparing an application for 25 to 30 homes on land which backs on to St Andrew's Road.?It will include 40% affordable housing.

At a meeting of the town council's properties committee last week, councillors were asked to consider whether they would want to take on the 1,200 square foot of land — enough for four allotments — if the plan was to be approved.

The site identified for community allotment space is within a former walled garden on the site.

The town council already has allotments at Butcher Park which are maintained by the Butcher Park Allotment Association.

Town clerk Carl Hearn told the committee: 'This forms part of the planning application and invites the town council to consider whether there is an allotment need.

'Probably our initial suggestion would be to invite the allotment association to assess what need there is for it.'

But Cllr Ted Sherrell voiced concern over the offer: 'If I was cynical I would say that perhaps this offer is an effort to appease the planning authority and the residents in order to build homes that are not on the local plan.

'I had a chat with a long serving officer of the local allotment association and he told me that at present there are enough allotments for Tavistock and Whitchurch. I think we should note it and take no further action at the moment.

'I personally do not agree with any development and feel that the land should stay as it is.'

Cllr John Sheldon suggested maybe having the land as a community space not necessarily for allotments.

Cllr John Sellis highlighted that there were allotments in Churchill Road in the past and the road was due to be built on.

Councillors agreed to speak to the allotment association to assess whether there is a need for more allotments and if there is, whether the association would be prepared to run them.