COUNCILLORS at West Devon Borough Council will discuss a proposed development for nine flats on Mill Road at a planning meeting on January 7.

The application is for land adjacent to the Chantry on Mill Road. The application has been brought before the borough council's planning committee due to Cllr Christine Marsh raising concerns of residential amenity and because of concerns from the town council.

The planning officer has recommended to grant conditional consent subject to the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement for education contributions. The application proposes a revised design to one previously approved.

The principle of a development of flats in this location has been accepted under a previous application.

The application was approved by the planning inspectorate, and works subsequently began. However, there was an error in the drawings approved that meant the granted design could not be approved.

The site has remained undeveloped, with only foundations put in. The current design is similar to that previously approved.

The new designs propose nine flats instead of six, achieved in part by reducing the number of bedrooms per flat, and creating an additional flat in the roof space of the proposed building.

Okehampton Town Council has objected to the application, expressing concerns on the overall size of the building, preferring a single storey property.

Other concerns raised include the closeness of the building to existing structures and the resultant impact on neighbours, and the visual impact on the area. However, town councillors have expressed a keenness to see the site developed.

Owing to the number of units and the fact some are family sized with two bedrooms, education contributions have been requested by Devon County Council.

The applicants are in the process of completing a Section 106 agreement to secure this funding. If the application is agreed by members of the planning committee, the agreement will need to be signed prior to a formal approval and the final decision being issued.