Residents claim Tavistock’s roads and services will not be able to cope with demands from a 120-house estate being mooted by developers.

Objectors claim the estate on Callington Road on the edge of Tavistock would overburden the ‘unsuitable’ roads, schools and GP surgeries and damage nature, including hedgerows and owl and bat habitats.

This comes as the town comes under pressure in all directions from developers wanting to build more homes on Plymouth Road, Violet Lane and other sites.

This most recent application comes from BDW Trading Ltd (Barratt Homes) and Robert and Margaret Blowey, who are seeking outline planning permission from WDBC for the homes on a greenfield site opposite the Tors estate.

A resident from Orchard Close, adjoining the site, said Tavistock had made a substantial contribution towards meeting its housing requirement under the Tavistock Neighbourhood Plan and Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan (JLP).

He said that since 2019, 1,500 homes are already built, committed to or formally planned for Tavistock during the current JLP period up to 2034.

“These figures says Tavistock has effectively met, and may have exceeded, its anticipated housing requirement well ahead of 2034.

“Given this level of delivery and commitment, further housing development in Tavistock cannot be justified on the basis of unmet housing need.”

The resident added: “This would lead to an increase in already severe traffic congestion in Devon's only World Heritage town. The road infrastructure is already operating under significant strain and lack the capacity to support the additional demand generated by this development.”

Echoing other objectors’ views, he pointed to the months of traffic congestion caused by Callington and Plymouth Road roadworks: “This highlights the fragility of the current road network and its limited capacity to absorb additional vehicles. The disruption has affected residents, local businesses, emergency services and public transport, demonstrating that the infrastructure is already operating at or beyond its practical limits.”

Locals say the developer does not show how its plans would include alleviating healthcare waiting times and school place shortages.

Objectors say Tavistock's drainage and wastewater infrastructure cannot cope with increasing frequency of heavy rainfall, resulting in surface water flooding and sewer system surcharge incidents. Further development would increase pressure.

The application site contains Devon banks, ancient hedgerows, mature trees, stone boundary walls and fields contributing to biodiversity and landscape character.

A Crease Lane resident said: “There is insufficient capacity within nearby schools, GP surgeries, and other healthcare services to accommodate additional residents. Local amenities are limited, and this would further strain facilities already struggling to meet demand.”

A Callington Road resident said: “Tavistock is the only town in Devon with a world heritage status. Making changes to roundabouts and roads would result in the town losing its heritage status. We’d lose our visitors and the money they spend.”

The developer is proposing five acres of homes with walking and leisure routes and amenities. The site will be ‘well-integrated’ into transport networks. The homes will be ‘sensitively integrated within a network of connected and accessible green spaces, featuring new areas of amenity grassland’, wildflower meadows and landscaping.

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