Developers have won approval to build homes in the countryside at Lamerton on the third attempt.

West Devon Borough Council’s planning committee narrowly gave the go-ahead for the 20-homes scheme by Baker Estates for land close to the Blacksmiths Arms which will include six affordable houses.

The site has been refused for development twice because it went against policies in a joint local plan, which dictates where homes will be built, and a planning inspector dismissed an appeal in 2022.

But new housing targets set by the government mean that the council only has around half the amount of housing sites it needs for future development.

This means that the current joint local plan is effectively out-of-date and the council has to consider sites that were previously unfavourable if they are in a location which has services and facilities nearby.

Speaking on behalf of Baker Estates Arron Beecham said families were being forced to leave the area because they could not find homes locally. He said there was nearly 1,000 households waiting for a home in West Devon with more than 70 people bidding on each three-bed property.

But Cllr Neil Jory (Con, Milton Ford) said Lamerton had already experienced a significant amount of housing development and had “played its part”.

And land off Greenhill in the village, given permission for 19 homes in 2024 but not yet developed, would meet the housing need in the village, he said.

“If development is allowed outside the built form of the village because the authority cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, the same could apply in many towns and villages in West Devon,” he said.

Approving the plan could “weaken the ability of the council to defend its current policies” which were not redundant just going through a period of transition, he said.

Cllr Jeff Moody (Ind, Tavistock North) agreed saying the lack of a five-year land supply was not “a free pass for developers”.

He said he was not convinced the benefits of the development outweighed the harm as the protection of the countryside was paramount. Other councillors said that for an ‘exception site’ like this they would want to see more affordable homes than six.

But planning officers recommended that the committee approve the scheme which would include financial contributions to the NHS and sport and play provision through a legal agreement.

Lamerton Parish Council and seven members of the public had opposed the plans but there were also five letters in support.

Cllr Caroline Mott (Con, Bridestowe) said requirements for housing by the government had “blown all local plans out of the water” and whilst she was mindful of local opinion, she also had to be aware of the difficult position the council had been put in by central government.

She was also scathing of developers who had delayed housebuilding or were sitting on stalled sites, saying “Developers constantly mention the critical housing shortage but fail to recognise their own role in delivering on sites which already have permissions to build.”

The councillor was against Baker Estates’ plan to create a ‘through road’ in the estate as a “safer” alternative to vehicles using the crossroads by the Blacksmiths Arms as she said it would create “a rat run” and asked that it be for cyclists and pedestrians only.

Cllr Graham Reed (Lib Dem, Tavistock North) agreed saying it was a threat to children’s safety but was told county highways was in support of it.

The plan was approved by five votes to four.