AN historically important site in the centre of Tavistock, valued at around £2 million, has finally received the green light from planners who last week agreed it could be redeveloped for housing.

The site, owned by Tony Kaminski, includes the oldest foundry building in Tavistock plus other buildings used by the woollen industry in the early part of the 20th century.

The unanimous decision by West Devon?s planning committee, which followed a site inspection last month, marks the end of a lengthy campaign by Mr Kaminski to achieve permission to develop the site.

He said: ?I feel good ? I?ve worked damned hard on this. I?ve enjoyed doing it, I love a challenge. It?s been a busy last few months, but we?ve won the day.?

Mr Kaminski now has Conservation Area consent to demolish the majority of the unlisted buildings at the site, allowing it to be redeveloped to include 29 dwellings. The Listed Gill Foundry has been granted change of use permission, allowing it to be converted to nine residential units.

Mr Kaminski said development of the site was ?still a long way down the road?.

?I don?t know yet whether I will do the development ? I could sell the site. I know of 45 builders who would buy the site tomorrow,? said Mr Kaminski, who said he felt ?justice? had been done in granting consent for the work.

Although the area off Parkwood Road had outline planning permission for redevelopment for residential use, strong objections were received by the borough?s planning officers.

Dr Tom Greeves, chairman of the Dartmoor Society, claimed demolition of the old woollen sheds, with their northern light windows, was an act of ?cultural vandalism? and would mean remnants of Tavistock?s industrial past would be ?lost forever?.

The issue was further complicated by the fact that Tavistock is part of the bid to UNESCO for World Heritage Site status, in relation to East Cornwall and West Devon?s mining heritage ? there were fears development in the area could affect the outcome of the bid.

However, the foundry was the only building on the Kaminski site relevant to the bid, forming just a small component of the large and complicated overall bid.

Stephen Gill, the borough?s head of planning who has been involved with the preparation of the World Heritage bid, said: ?In some respects, demolishing the buildings might even help because in clearing them away you might have a better view of the Listed building.

?And as with all Listed buildings, if you can find a viable use for them it helps their upkeep, so in that respect it?s a good thing.

?At the end of the day, the fact is that the proposal doesn?t have any adverse effect whatsoever on Tavistock being included in the World Heritage bid, or on the likely success of it.?

The planning consent was granted subject to several conditions, which include implementation of an archaeological programme before development takes place.