IF ever any of us comes into contact with 'the authorities' there's a good chance a planning officer is involved.

Perhaps we're up in arms because the neighbours want to build an extension.

It might be of course that it's our own scheme under scrutiny and there's an anxious wait to be endured before a decision is handed down.

As director of planning at Dartmoor National Park Authority, Stephen Belli has the job of steering policy that helps to determine the 600 or so applications his department deals with each year.

'You need to like people, have a good sense of humour and a broad back,' Stephen Belli said, suggesting some of the qualifications not usually found on a planning officer's job description.

Originally from South Wales but a resident of the West Country for the past nine years, Mr Belli has found a warm welcome in Devon, even if his officers' reputation as 'no' merchants hasn't always helped.

Is the less than favourable impression a fair one?

'The man in the street will say the national park refuses everything,' he replied.

'Whenever I go to town or parish meetings I always ask, "what's your best guess about the number of applications we approve" and everybody says about 40 or 50 per cent,' said Mr Belli.

'Actually, for example, of the 621 we dealt with in 2012, 92 per cent were approved.

'There are a lot of potential applicants who might not get planning permission and they're always the first to shout about how negative we are, and yet all the people who obtain permission or are glad we don't allow huge housing estates, rarely say to us "you're doing a good job".

'With housing what we try and do is ask what's important in a national park. It's not just the quality of the design and location but also who is that housing going to be occupied by?

'Is it right the authority should allow general housing for people outside the park who want to move in, or should the first preference be those people already here who can't get a home because prices are so high?

'Our priority is to facilitate affordable housing.'

Mr Belli, whose 35-year career in planning grew from a love of architecture, cartography and the countryside, used the 18 mixed-property project in Christow which the authority approved last November as an example of his department's willingness to grant permission.

Referring to the growth of 50 houses a year outlined in the 20-year Dartmoor local plan he said: 'It's a target, something we aspire to, but not a limit as there might be opportunities on brown field sites, such as the Thompson's yard at Moretonhampstead, which might arise and be too good to miss.'

Keen to stress his desire that the maximum number of applications stood a good chance of being approved, Mr Belli said his authority was one of very few to offer free advice.

'We appreciate these applications are very dear to the hearts of those people who submit them and we'd rather negotiate for an extra week or two to increase the chance of their being approved once submitted,' he said.

'We've also got a design guide and new local plan for people to look at and urge them to have a think about those. A very simple form on our website allows people to ask for free advice and we'll respond, in writing, within 28 days.'

That's all well and good, but who decides what constitutes 'good' design?

'My view in design is that I cherish what's been built in the past, whether that's a medieval longhouse, 18th century Georgian property, Victorian or Art Nouveau house.

'I'm also keen to say we live in the 21st century and is there, in the right place, the opportunity to introduce some contemporary design?

'There are examples of that throughout the park, including large industrial units such as the Buckfast Tonic Wine plant, a really innovative design with a curved grass roof and lots of glazing.

'It's got that wow factor yet when you drive by it you hardly notice it — as there's a wild flower meadow on the roof, it looks like part of the field.

'We don't subscribe to the view it must all be chocolate box, we want to stamp 21st century on designs where it's appropriate.

'Having said that there are some places where it's better to play safe, such as Widecombe where we approved an affordable housing scheme for which we thought a more traditional looking terrace of cottages was more suitable.

'What I love about planning is it's not black and white, there's room for subjective debate and members of the development management committee, not development control as it used to be, will not always agree with our recommendations.

'It's our job to approve the right developments for the right locations.

'Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder and there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to design.'

For Mr Belli, the fact that authority members aren't elected is a positive thing, as there is less pressure on them to vote on matters with one eye on the ballot box.

'The national park is not a political animal in terms of the way it makes its decisions, and when members enter a development management meeting they are no longer councillor so-and-so, they are mister,' he said.

'Our decisions should be taken for the benefit of the landscape and community as a whole, not just for a single ward or parish. Dartmoor is a national asset, a national jewel, and it is up to members and officers to look after that and yet allow growth in a suitable and sustainable way.'

Mr Belli's advice for anyone appearing before the committee with an application waiting to be decided on is to avoid anything personal.

That applies to comments about officers and members as well as the reasons why an application should be approved.

'Try to keep it cool and calm and stick to the planning issues,' he said.

'The golden rule in planning is that personal circumstances shouldn't outweigh general principles.

'Applicants sometimes fail to realise that although they might have genuine reasons for needing approval, their circumstances can change but we're being asked to give permission on a piece of land or building, not the applicant.

'They could decide to sell the next day to someone who doesn't have those same needs.

'Sometimes we appear hard but that's the reason why, we're looking at the principles, not personal issues.

'Yes, we get brickbats thrown at us but we expect that. And sometimes we get it wrong and have to be man enough to take that, the inspectorate will soon tell us.

'But of the small number of refusals last year and the appeals that followed, 75 per cent were dismissed, way above the government target.

'The bottom line for me is saying yes to development that is good for Dartmoor.'