PLANS allowing more than 1,800 houses to be built on selected sites in West Devon in the next eleven years have been slammed by councillors in Tavistock.
A working group of members took three years to come up with the new draft housing development plan which was presented to the borough's development committee last week.
The plan suggests 602 houses could be built in the southern part of the borough, based mainly around Tavistock, and 1,219 in the north, predominantly in Okehampton.
Cllr Michael Pithouse said it was 'quite obscene' to put a further 840 houses in Okehampton.
'The town is being destroyed by little boxes, the school is bursting at the seams, the value of property there is going down. It's in a mess and if you allow another 840 houses I think that's way over the top, the town can't take it,' he said.
Cllr Joan Pauley agreed.
'I am fed up with this division of north and south, you should try to equal it off,' she said.
Cllr Pat Warne was very concerned there was not enough use of brownfield sites for housing, particularly in Tavistock, and criticised proposals allowing another 200 dwellings to be built around Bishopsmead.
'I certainly do not want our beautiful town spoilt by over-development,' she said.
'Generally people don't want to see Bishopsmead extended, they don't want to see the increase in traffic — I think the point is people don't want to live in great sprawling estates.'
And Cllr Ted Sherrell claimed imposition of housing needs by central government was an 'attack on local democracy'.
'In my mind, our duty is to fulfil the needs of the people of West Devon,' he said. 'In 15 or 20 years quality of life will be severely affected.'
But Cllr Noel Cartwright did not see any problems with the amount of houses recommended in the plan.
'We are a very, very sparsely populated area. Let's get things in perspective, we are talking about a small amount of houses which the community will need,' he said.
Cllr Nick Waterhouse said a 'continual stream' of people wanted to live in West Devon and, if houses were not supplied, demand would force prices up, but he proposed provision should be made for play areas where more than 20 houses were built together.
Chris Dunford, principal planning officer, told members there was concern the housing figure proposed in the county's structure plan was too high, especially for Tavistock.
But he said if the council adopted 'high risk strategy' and did not adhere to the plan, there could be a public inquiry involving the county and Government Office for the South West.
'Basically if we do not provide enough houses in the southern part of the borough then the county council will object to our Local Plan,' he said.
'It's a very small part of the entire Local Plan for West Devon — the draft will be published next spring when there will be the opportunity to object or make suggestions.'
The committee recommended sites at Laburnams, Wonnacotts, east of Upcott and adjacent to the North Road link in Okehampton be included in the Local Plan, plus four sites at Hatherleigh, one at Lifton, one at Spreyton and one at Lewdown.
In Tavistock, sites at the Manor, on Callington Road, the Priory, at Brook and at Bishopsmead are to be included, plus three at Bere Alston.