A multi-million pound development on the northern side of Tavistock was given the green light by West Devon planners this week ? despite fears about pedestrian safety and increased traffic congestion in the area. The borough?s planning committee agreed around 140 new houses could be built on The Manor site at Old Launceston Road. Access to the site will be from a new roundabout, opposite Inswell Court. Planning chief Stephen Gill told the committee the principle of development on the site had already been agreed through the Local Plan process ? despite the inspector?s acknowledgment the development would have inevitable knock-on effects on traffic congestion on the Ford Street and Drake roundabouts. Resident Robin Burnham said people living in Inswell Court, St Maryhaye and Courtlands had ?grave concerns? about the impact such a large development would have on pedestrian and vehicular safety. He said an extra 1,000 traffic movements per day could be generated from the new housing estate, with possibly 140 extra children attending schools in the area. ?Would you want your children or grandchildren to cross these roads? I don?t think so,? he said, appealing to the council to either turn the application down or move the entrance to the estate away from Inswell Court. Cllr Dick Eberlie, ward member for Tavistock North, said the application was controversial because it was ?in the wrong place?. He said: ?There were a series of meetings about it, there was a very large petition against it, yet the inspector appears to have disregarded them.? Cllr Eberlie felt the application was still premature, given that the new Local Plan was yet to be formally adopted. He said residents held ?fearful worries? extra car movements through residential areas would create dangerous ?rat-runs? and suggested the estate entrance remain at it was presently, off New Launceston Road, despite the fact protected trees would have to go. But a proposal to move the entrance fell. Mr Gill told the committee the borough was able to agree a much lower density of houses on the site as a whole than the Government would normally have permitted, because the ?parkland? nature of one section was being retained. If the access was changed, the site could end up being developed even more intensively. Cllr Mandy Govier said: ?I wasn?t a great fan of the Inswell Court entrance, but it is the best logical place. If those trees go, you could end up with hundreds of extra houses.? Planning committee chairman Cllr Roger Mathew said the application by George Wimpey and Westbury Homes was the last stage of a seven-year process of public consultation. He said: ?We tried to meet some of the objections; we wanted to reduce development below 30 to 50 houses per hectare, we wanted gradual development so it was densest in already developed areas, fading out towards the open countryside, we wanted to conserve some very fine trees ? that was the master plan.? Cllr Mathew warned to move the access would be to ?fly in the face? of the council?s own policy which could be ?something of a disaster? in the future. The committee agreed planning consent for the application, including access provision off Old Launceston Road, subject to a detailed section 106 agreement. This includes provision of affordable housing, a developers? contribution to education, provision and maintenance of public spaces and play areas. There will also be extensive off-site highways works to try and reduce the knock-on effects of extra traffic. They include: l provision of a continuous footway along Old Launceston Road, a subsidised town bus service costing £225,000 l provision for safer walking routes including resurfacing of the old railway bridge and lane between Watts Road and Treetops l a clear pedestrian route at the junction of Spring Hill, West Street and Ford Street l a £1,500 bursary to provide a walking bus co-ordinator l £500 worth of safety equipment l £1,500 towards a primary school car park design and promotional material for safer routes to school information. A condition was also imposed, preventing the developers from starting work before sewage improvements by South West Water have been carried out.
