MEAVY residents have asked Maristow Estate to sell them a plot of land for a conservation area, instead of having two houses built on it.

They say the scheme would be popular and offer a new resource to the local school.

Resident Tom Bell said: 'We would like a nature reserve with trees and a pond. Most of the village would prefer this to new houses.'

But Yelverton High Colton estate agents have told the residents the 0.13-acre plot is valued at around £135,000. Mr Bell doubted they could raise that much, but said they had not given up.

Residents are upset by the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to allow the houses to be built. They fear it could set a precedent and that there are plans to build many more houses on an adjacent field.

Maristow Estate said it will sell the plot with planning permission for building, but denied any intention to develop it further. This week it said the business was in the hands of an agent and the site would soon be advertised.

In January a planning inspector alloowed the building of two semi-detached properties with an access on to Meavy Lane. Thirty-one residents and Burrator Parish Council objected.

It was also opposed by the Dartmoor Preservation Association and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

A DPA spokesman said: 'We are always hearing the land-owning lobbys claim they are the guardians of rural England, yet time and time again they seem willing to sell out the countryside for urbanisation if they believe they can make enough money.'

Dartmoor National Park Authority turned down the original application because of concerns over access. It did not object to the building of the houses.

The inspector said impact of the new access was the main issue and it did not justify withholding permission.

Residents have raised other objections. They are worried about flooding, whether the sewage system is adequate and safety in the narrow lane.

Several villagers have written to Environment Minister Michael Meacher for his views .

Mr Meacher, who visited the area recently, said it was Government policy to build affordable housing in smaller moorland settlements, without undermining village character.