A RADICAL proposal has been made by North Tawton Town Council to purchase a development site in the town so it can provide homes which local people want.

But the plan is likely to fall at the first hurdle as housing association West Devon Homes has a five-year option to buy the land at Barton Hill which has consent for an 18-dwelling affordable housing scheme.

Chairman of the town council John Kinsey, who has described the scheme by West Devon Homes in design terms as 'the slums of the future', is shocked by the 'low valuation' of the development land which has been estimated at £75,000.

He said this week the only consolation when planning permission was granted for the scheme was that the money released from the sale of the borough council-owned land would be put into a fund to provide a car park for the town — but £75,000 was not enough.

'It is barely £4,000 a plot — bearing in mind that a building site for four houses in Exeter Street is being marketed for £125,000, we, as a town council, were very surprised at this low valuation,' he said.

Mr Kinsey said that land was looked upon as an asset to West Devon Borough Council and the feeling was locally that a higher value should have been placed on it.

'It seems we have been short-changed again — not only have we had to accept planning permission we do not want but the funds from it are not enough to give us a car park. It is a double blow to the people of North Tawton,' he added.

In view of the valuation, the town council, which objected to the development on density and design grounds but was not against a social housing scheme, has offered to buy the land for a slightly higher price and create its own affordable housing project which will be more in keeping with the area.

The chairman said the housing association scheme had been 'foisted' upon them and despite being turned down by the planning authority in its original form, it was later approved with one less home because councillors were threatened with a costly appeal.

'The only silver lining was the car park and that has been needed here for over 30 years,' he said.

'As members we feel in a position to offer more money in a joint venture with a developer which would give us more funds towards a car park and a more sympathetic housing scheme which local people would approve of.'

But the chief executive of West Devon Homes Stuart Davies said although the land was still unsold, the company had a five-year option to buy it and had entered a legally binding agreement with the borough council.

'There are a couple of outstanding issues that need to be tied up and then we can progress the land sale,' he said.

Mr Davies said the housing scheme was a positive thing for North Tawton and he did not wish it to be a source of conflict.

'The site at Barton Hill was one of our first developments in terms of planning and perhaps we did not handle it as well as we should have done,' he said.

'The fact of the matter is that we are providing housing that is badly needed for the town and the surrounding area.'

West Devon borough council's chief executive David Incoll said land being sold for social housing had to be valued for that purpose.

'We are trying to provide housing for local people to keep them in the borough and a sale at market value would not achieve social housing,' he said.

'If the town council is not happy with the valuation they should complain to the District Auditor.'

Despite fears that the £75,000 could be used for another project in the borough as it is insufficient to provide a car park for North Tawton, Mr Incoll said there was no question of that money being spent anywhere else.

'When this land is eventually sold the money will go into an account for a car park — that was the council's decision and an absolute promise was made by members,' he added.

Mr Incoll said his advice would be that the town council needed to speak to West Devon Homes and the borough council about their ideas.