PLANNERS have reversed a decision to approve a much-needed retirement complex in Tavistock in a bid to save employment land and bring more jobs to the town. The scheme for 50 sheltered apartments by award winning developers McCarthy and Stone was turned down for land at Abbey Rise, currently occupied by manufacturing company Superwinch. West Devon Borough Council?s planning committee last June gave the go-ahead for the development on condition that Superwinch, which needed to relocate in order to retain jobs, moved to a new site within the borough. But despite hopes to build a new factory at the Pitts Cleave Industrial Estate in Tavistock, the company has decided to move just outside the borough to a site at Roborough. The decision put the ball back in the court of the borough council as to what happens to the land at Abbey Rise. General manager of Superwinch Alan Hayball said the move to Pitts Cleave could not be achieved in its timescale and although extensive searches were carried out to find an alternative location in West Devon, nothing had been found. Superwinch has been manufacturing vehicle mounted winches in Tavistock since 1960, but a highly competitive worldwide market has seen its workforce diminish from more than 100 to 37. To secure those jobs a more efficient building was needed, the planning committee was told. Moves to find a site had been speeded up because of the decision by Superwinch?s American parent company to sell its twin businesses, the other of which was based in Connecticut. West Devon?s planning chief Stephen Gill told members of the committee on Tuesday there was a real problem with employment in Tavistock and with 600 new homes due to be built over the next seven years available land was scarce. He said: ?At the moment we do not know if there is any interest out there from other employers in taking over the Superwinch site. ?But to approve this application for housing would be giving away much-needed employment land. ?For this reason we are reluctantly recommending refusal ? it is a classic example of competing priorities for the borough.? Cllr Mandy Govier said she would be voting for the officer?s recommendation but it was with ?a heavy heart? because sheltered housing was desperately needed in Tavistock. Planning chairman Roger Mathew said the situation could all change in six months? time: ?We have to market this site for employment and give it a chance ? there were once 100 jobs provided here and this could happen again.? He said McCarthy and Stone could re-submit their application free of charge anytime within 12 months if there was no interest from businesses. Spokesman for McCarthy and Stone Paul Davies said their plans had been ?scuppered? for the sake of 50 feet which is how far the new factory in Roborough would be outside West Devon Borough Council?s boundary. He said: ?We are bitterly disappointed because we did have planning consent for this scheme and now we don?t. ?At the moment we are reviewing what to do next.?
