NORTH Tawton Town Council's chairman has vowed to carry on fighting to stop a controversial housing plan in the town despite it being approved by planners this week.

John Kinsey said the town council would be taking advice on what it could do next following planning permission being granted to West Devon Homes for an affordable housing scheme at Barton Hill.

A plan by the housing association for 19 homes was rejected by the planning authority in December on the grounds of density, design and road safety but a second application was submitted for 18 homes and included improvements in the parking arrangements.

Both applications were recommended for approval by officers.

Mr Kinsey, who had previously described the development as the 'potential slums of the future', said he felt very let down by the planning committee.

'The town council could see little change in this plan from the last one,' he said.

'The biggest objection we had was density and reducing the development by just one house is not enough.'

Mr Kinsey said the design was out of keeping with other housing in North Tawton and the town council would have liked to have seen bungalows on the site which would be less prominent in the landscape.

'This has not been a campaign against social housing — we have no objection to a housing association development in North Tawton,' he added.

Issues of road safety had also been highlighted as this part of the town was already 'congested' with traffic but no objections were raised by Devon County Highways.

Chief executive of West Devon Homes Stuart Davies told West Devon Borough Council's planning committee on Tuesday there was a significant need for this accommodation in North Tawton.

'There are over 40 families on the waiting list for accommodation in the town, many of whom are already living in North Tawton and the others live in settlements around that area,' he said.

'For people who already live in the community it is an opportunity for them to live in a better house.'

Mr Davies said some of the points raised at the last meeting had been taken on board when making the new application.

A communal parking area would be created at the end of the site for both existing and future residents of Barton Hill to use.

The applicants were also hoping to offer a solution to the drainage and sewage issues and an installation of a sewage treatment scheme before occupation of the first house has been made a condition of the planning permission.

Committee members were told the previous application was the subject of an appeal which would go ahead by means of a public inquiry in June if the latest proposal was not approved.

Head of planning and

development Stephen Gill said although there was an environment policy to restrict major development in North Tawton until such time as a central car park was provided in the town, officers were of the opinion that this development was not significant enough to exacerbate the general traffic movement in North Tawton.

'We cannot find any justification to refuse this application,' he said.

Cllr Nick Morgan told the meeting the flooding problems in North Tawton were well known and the Environment Agency had clearly stated at a recent meeting that no development should take on the south side of town until work had been done on the river by Taw Bridge.

Cllr Richard Eberlie said he believed significant changes had been made to the application by West Devon Homes but there was very little councillors could do about addressing the issues of road safety as county highways 'seemed to accept the situation'.