PROVISION of a second primary school in Okehampton has been put back many more years, according to a leading councillor.

West Devon Council Leader Conservative James McInnes made the claim after the borough on Tuesday granted permission for houses to be built on a site allocated for a second school in the town.

Cllr McInnes said a second primary school would be needed in three or four years' time and the homes go-ahead would now mean an alternative site would have to be found — a process that could prove lengthy.

The planning committee approved outline plans by Leander Developments for 52 houses to be built on two adjacent plots of land on the east of Okehampton — the larger of the two plots was previously allocated for a second school as part of the local plan.

For the new primary school site to be viable, Devon County Council needed both applications to be refused and to secure the purchase of both plots at market value — £1.17-million had been allocated by the county council for the purchase of the plots, adjacent to Baldwin Drive and Radford Way.

The smaller plot was part of land allocated for residential planning as part of West Devon Borough Council's Core Strategy.

Borough councillors were reluctant to over-rule their own strategy policy and refuse the application on the smaller plot. They were also unconvinced by Devon County Council's commitment to build a second school in Okehampton.

Cllr David Wilde said: 'I would be concerned that if we refuse the applications today and Devon County Council buy the land, whether further down the line the county council would sell the land for residential use.'

Overturning the case planning officer's recommendation, the committee granted permission for nine houses on the smaller plot with five members voting in favour and four abstentions.

As a result of the larger site being unsuitable for a school by itself, councillors also agreed to grant permission for the 43 houses on the larger plot with a vote of six in favour and three abstentions.

Cllr McInnes, who is a councillor for both Devon County and West Devon Borough souncils, said: 'I am shocked at the decision of West Devon Borough Council planning committee to actually grant housing on the initial application they discussed for the nine houses, which the county council made very clear, was required to deliver the second primary school in Okehampton.

'West Devon Borough Council planning committee in effect made the second decision, where they made the recommendation to grant 40 or so houses, inevitable. I am shocked.

'This means the provision of a second primary school in Okehampton has been put back many more years when we had finally got the county council to be very up front that they require that site.

'If you look at the number of houses currently being built, there is going to be a requirement for a second primary school in three or four years.

'The county will have to keep searching for an alternative site and have to speak at future planning meetings at West Devon and as part of the master planning east of Okehampton, a new site will have to be found for a second primary school. That could take a long time.'