A BID to build 25 homes on a greenfield site in a West Devon village has been given the thumbs up ? despite sustained opposition from residents. Sunnybanks Homes applied for planning permission to build 18 detached bungalows and seven terraced affordable homes on land to the north of Kimberlands at Northlew. The company is already appealing against a decision earlier this year not to agree to the construction of 25 homes on the site. West Devon Borough Council?s planning committee heard that Northlew Parish Council had reluctantly accepted development would take place on the site as it was within the local plan boundaries for the village. But the parish council said it was concerned at the high density of housing, unimaginative design of the dwellings, inadequate parking, narrow approach roads, increase in traffic and the level of affordable housing. The borough has also received a 59-signature petition opposing the development and ten letters of objection. Residents were concerned about safety in the narrow road to the site, inadequate parking, development on a greenfield site and the detrimental impact of the development on the small community. Graham Clark, planning director for Sunnybanks, said the site had been allocated for development for the past 15 years and had been passed as satisfactory by a planning inspector through the local plan process. The inspector had accepted that the approach roads in the area were narrow, but even with increased traffic generated by the new estate, the road ?wouldn?t be heavily used?. Mr Clark said: ?The application is a revision of one submitted last year. We have dealt with the affordable housing issues and the play area. ?The development has been designed to avoid the problems of overlooking and there is a satisfactory relationship with adjoining properties.? Borough ward member for Northlew Cllr James McInnes said: ?My view has always been to support this application. ?There was a great deal of animosity to start with and I might have only wanted 15 houses, but we have to be realistic about what we can do within guidelines.? Cllr Dennis Bater said he felt fears about extra traffic generated by the development may prove groundless. ?I think there?s a misconception sometimes about 25 houses and the traffic it can produce. They don?t produce the amount of movement that a lot of people anticipate,? he said. The committee agreed to grant the application, subject to an agreement including provision of £15,500 towards off-site playground equipment, provision of seven affordable dwellings in perpetuity, four for social renting and three on a shared equity/ownership basis, plus maintenance of drainage scheme and contribution to street lighting in Kimber Lane. A new footpath link from the site will also be created, to promote pedestrian movements into the village centre. Resident Dick Tanner said people in the village were ?disgusted? at the planning committee?s decision and vowed they would continue their fight by contacting the Local Government Ombudsman. Mr Tanner is one of seven founder members of the Northlew Village Action Group which has now been established to fight the approval of the development. The group say there is no priority requirement for housing of any type in Northlew. Mr Tanner said he was very hopeful the ombudsman would find in favour of the residents because he believed the council had not gone through correct planning procedure.
