PLANS by Barratt Homes to build 45 flats and a car park at Abbey Rise, Tavistock have been turned down by because of excessive density. West Devon planners said the cramped layout, with no play space and inadequate usable amenity space would result in an 'unacceptably poor standard of residential amenity for future occupiers.' Barratt had proposed 39 two-bedroom and six one- bedroom apartments contained within an L-shaped building and 45 car parking spaces. The scheme was supported by Tavistock Town Council and was to include 16 affordable homes. In their report to the borough planning committee, planning officers said density of the proposal was ' very high' at 180 homes per hectare — the Governments sets a minimum of 30 per hectare and the McCarthy and Stone sheltered housing development adjacent to the site was 90 units per hectare. The number of homes and associated car parking left very little opportunity for landscaping and it was the opinion of the chief planning officer that the layout was 'unacceptably cramped'. The developers were willing to make a contribution of £85,000 towards the upgrade of equipment at the nearby Meadows park in lieu of on-site play provision, the committee was told.
