FEARS that much needed affordable homes could be shelved to subsidise a rail link in Tavistock were expressed this week as a public enquiry into West Devon Borough Council's development blueprint for the next 16 years drew to a close.

Opponents to the borough council's core strategy said little evidence had been provided to demonstrate the need for the reinstated rail link to Bere Alston and there was too much uncertainty over whether it could be delivered without having an impact on other important aspects of the plan.

The council has been working with Kilbride Community Rail over the past few years to develop the £18.5-million railway proposal but 750 homes need to be built around the station, planned for Callington Road, to make it viable and sustainable, said the council.

At the enquiry this week there were concerns that the development would have to be extended to fund the project or the affordable homes, which are part of the developer's contribution to the community, would be reduced or lost altogether in favour of seeing the rail link through.

Tavistock resident Ann Keelan said the borough council had not fully explored an alternative strategy whereby housing could be dispersed around the town. It had concentrated on one single site, which would create an urban extension to the town, in the pursuit of the railway.

She said the council had set its mind on going down this particular route and the entire evidence base had been built around this option. There was no plan B should this option fail.

She said: 'The railway was not part of the original consultation but it is something that has come into the picture much later on when a developer came forward.

'The council has said in its own document that without the rail link, residential development at that site would be considered largely unsustainable and inappropriate.'

Opponents said improving links to Plymouth should not be the council's priority but keeping people in Tavistock with added services and employment opportunities. It was suggested that improving bus links on the A386 would be a less expensive option than the rail link and more achievable.

Tavistock resident Ruth Newman said the elderly population of the town was increasing and demographics needed to be taken into account.

'The Government subsidises buses and pensioners have bus passes,' she said. 'If there was a frequent bus to Plymouth people would use that.'

Dave Black from Devon County Council said the buses had a 'long and treacherous' journey from Tavistock to Plymouth and it took an hour to get there at peak time: 'If we do not build a railway the demand on the roads, with all the new housing, will increase and will not be able to be accommodated.

'There is congestion from 7am to 9.30am in much of the South East —is that what we want to happen in Tavistock?'

West Devon head of housing and strategic planning Marion Playle said she believed the site off the Callington Road site was still the best location for development and tied in well with other parts of the plan, including the extension of the schools and a new hospital on a level site within the town centre.

'We believe we can deliver the development and the railway,' she said. 'A lot of work has gone into it and it would not be in this plan unless we had a high level of certainty around it.'

Peter Frost from Kilbride said the company would subsidise the railway in the early days — there would be no cost to the taxpayer.

'I think a rail link here would exceed everyone's expectations, just as it has done in other parts of the country where rail links have been reinstated.'

Planning inspector Paul Crysell will give his ruling on West Devon Borough Council's core strategy in the new year.