THE housing company behind the controversial plan to build 750 homes at Monksmead, says its ambitious scheme 'is a a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide much needed housing' for Tavistock and West Devon.

National housebuilder Bovis Homes is seeking to build 'high quality, attractive and sustainable mixed-use development' on land off Callington Road in exchange for financing the reinstatement of the former 5.5-mile Tavistock-Bere Alston raliway line.

Bovis is supported in its bid by Devon County Council, West Devon Borough Council and the facilitator of the ambitious scheme, Kilbride, a company that specialises in integrated and sustainable transport projects.

Bovis Homes is holding a public exhibition at the Bedford Hotel, Tavistock, on Friday, February 22, between 1pm and 8pm, on its proposals for the major housing development.

Bovis said comments from residents and local interest groups would be taken into account as part of the consultation leading to a planning application later this year.

The borough council has allocated the site off Callington Road in its Local Plan for a new development of up to 750 homes, education facilities and public open space.

The development is linked to the reinstatement of the Bere Alston to Tavistock rail line, which Bovis says is a long-held goal for rail users and local businesses.

Nevin Holden, Bovis Homes South West strategic land director. said: 'This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide much needed housing alongside the proposal to restore the rail connection for Tavistock.

'We are entering detailed discussions with West Devon Borough Council and look forward to working in partnership with the council and wider community in Tavistock.

'It's vital for all of us that we deliver a high quality, well designed new community to complement the existing town and the new station.

'All open land around Tavistock is sensitive and we want to protect the most sensitive areas in and adjacent to the site.'

Bovis Homes' consultants have undertaken surveys to look more closely at the landscape, drainage and ecology in and around the area. They have also taken note of the outcome of the 'community visioning' event run by LDA Design on behalf of the borough council in December 2011.

At the end of last month the county council held its own 'roadshow' of four public consultations with representatives and information boards at the pannier market and the town hall in Tavistock and the station and village hall in Bere Alston.

The county council sent transport planning officers George Marshall and Matthew Barnes, along with council engineer Ben Naylor — who was in charge of the construction of Gem Bridge — to meet the public.

In response to these meetings Cllr Stuart Hughes, county council cabinet member for highways and transportation, told the Times: 'All the information events over the four days were well attended and we are pleased to have received almost 400 responses.

'We are still working our way through the responses that we received, but all of the feedback will be taken on board and will be used to inform design work as it progresses.

'Further public consultation will be carried out as the scheme develops.'