A SCHEME for 17 affordable homes off Woolacombe Road in Bere Alston has been rejected by planners, despite local demand.

The prominence of the site on the area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) and the effect on the amenity of neighbouring properties were the reasons West Devon Borough Council's planning committee last week rejected the proposal by Bibio Ltd against the planning officers' recommendation.

There were also major concerns over the inadequate road network, which had been highlighted by a planning inspector in 2006. But the committee was told it would have problems refusing the application on highways grounds if it went to appeal as County Highways had no objection to the scheme.

The meeting was told that Bere Ferrers Parish Council had voted against proposals for homes on that site on two occasions, and 68 people had sent letters of objection to the borough council.

There was opposition to the site being built 800 metres away from the centre of the village and it was the furthest one could get from the school and railway station, councillors said.

Resident Elizabeth McQueen said she had lived in Bere Alston for 38 years and in that time she had seen the expansion of the village and an improvement in local amenities but the road infrastructure had not changed 'one iota'.

She said she did not live anywhere near the site but drove the road a lot and for 25 years at this time of year transported her hay requirements by tractor to and from Bere Alston.

'With the best will in the world this junction (Bedford Street and Woolacombe Road) is not easy to negotiate and at times it is downright dangerous,' she said.

Cllr Mike Benson said the road from Bere Alston to Plymouth via Denham Bridge was described by a planning inspector when three sites were being examined in 2005 as 'positively medieval' and they stated that there should not be any further large scale developments on the Bere Peninsula.

But the meeting was told by officers that one of those sites — Pentillie Road — had been built on since that time.

Planning consultant David Lobban, speaking on behalf of Bibio Ltd, said affordable housing sites were built on exception sites outside development boundaries on the outskirts of villages.

He said that 20 months ago there were 42 households who met the criteria for an affordable home in Bere Alston, now there were ninety-two.

Cllr Terry Pearce said he was concerned about the position of the development, on an elevated site, in the AONB. Many of the homes around that area were bungalows and the site would be out of keeping and overlook the neighbouring properties.

There were also concerns that the site could become 'a possible ghetto' because of its location away from the centre of the community.

Planning officers said the application was finely balanced but with conditions, including landscaping, the retention of the footpath through the site and ecological enhancements, the scheme was considered to be acceptable in terms of the development plan.