WILL the developer stop at nothing to ruin our town?

The actions of 3H Investments Ltd in lodging the appeal for the development of 110 houses on Butcher Park Hill over the Christmas period is typical of this developer who will stop at nothing for their personal gain.

In their appeal statement to the planning inspector, the company claims that this application (wisely turned down last year by WDBC planning officers) was the first housing application submitted by them. Technically correct but the application extensively used documentation prepared for the proposed development by Trand (UK) Ltd who would have been developing the land on behalf of the owner, being (guess who) 3H Investments!

Prior to Trand, 3H Investments applied for permission to build a caravan park as they claimed there was a need for such tourist accommodation in the area.

The application was turned down by WDBC but granted by the planning inspector in Bristol on appeal, however, in the meantime the apparent need for tourist accommodation had evaporated and apart from the significant damage to a Devon hedge to create an entrance nothing has happened.

Despite the planning inspector to the earlier appeal imposing conditions relating to holiday occupancy, noting that ‘residential dwellings would not be appropriate here’, 3H Investments have doggedly persisted in their desire for a not insignificant housing development to be built on this land.

Should this appeal also be granted, Butcher Park Hill will be effectively reduced to a single file road, emergency vehicles, heavy lorries etc will be doing hill starts from as far back as Bannawell Street and Drake Road, additional traffic will be trying to push its way through Bedford Square and down Plymouth Road with untold damage to the historic sites in our town.

Will this be the next World Heritage Site put on the ‘at risk’ list?

As I write, the public hearing is set to be held in Bristol. No doubt the developer’s team will be there in force but it effectively prohibits the residents of Tavistock, those who will be adversely affected in perpetuity, from attending.

Letters should be emailed to the Planning Inspector at [email protected] and quoting reference APP/Q1153/W/15/3138936 by February 29 objecting to this application.

Mrs A Cheetham

Tavistock