Tavistock could increase in size by 30 per cent if all homes in the pipeline get built.

There are eight sites where planning permission has either been granted, applied for or is at the consultation phase, totalling over 1,500 new properties.

Developers have been circling the town since the house building targets were changed by the government and West Devon Borough Council now has to find land for 426 homes a year rather than the 160 dictated by its current local plan.

In the last week, a scheme for 65 homes at Green Hill has been submitted. This is in addition to applications for 143 homes at Violet Lane, 120 on land at Uplands, 330 at Butcher Park Hill and two New Launceston Road developments, totalling 330 homes.

There are 350 homes already with planning permission at The Tors on Callington Road and a scheme for 250 in Plymouth Road was granted consent but this has now lapsed.

There is mounting opposition to the influx of proposals for edge of town sites which are not in the local development plan, supposed to outline the amount of housing, and its location, that is allowed up to 2034.

Because housing tariffs have now been relaxed, councils have been told by the government they have to consider sites they may have previously discounted if they are in a “sustainable location”. This means they have to be close to facilities and services or on good bus routes.

But the major concern in Tavistock is traffic gridlock, as all the roads off which development is mooted, inevitably direct people to the centre for onward travel.

A historic road network is crumbling under the pressure already, say some, and junctions are at capacity.

Town councillor and former planning consultant Graham Parker said: “All the traffic has to come through the town to get to Plymouth where all the jobs are. The highway network is fragile as it is and all you need is a temporary set of traffic lights and the whole town comes to a halt.”

Town and borough councillors have called for a robust traffic assessment to be done by Devon County Council highways before any of the new applications go before the borough council’s planning committee. 

They want the authority to look at the cumulative impact of traffic from developments instead of looking at each one individually.

Cllr Parker said the borough needed to think very carefully about allowing homes on “exception sites” on the edge of town when 600 homes already had planning permission but were not being built.

“We have waited 13 years for The Tors to be finished,” he said. “It’s really sad that planners think they have no chance of stopping or influencing further development because of new government targets,” he said, adding that local plan policies were still relevant.

“These proposals have split the town. I know some people feel it will help trade and there will be more homes for local people but they have to be the right homes in the right place.

“There should be twice the amount of affordable housing on sites outside the main town and if we don’t get the 60 per cent required developments should be refused. Equally if they are not in a sustainable location they should be refused.” 

He referenced the proposed development off Violet Lane, which has been strongly opposed in the community. It was not a sustainable location as it had no pavements, it was on the steepest land you could find in Tavistock and buses ran only once every two hours.

Around 250 objections to the homes on seven hectares of grazing land at Violet Lane have been received by the borough council.

Tavistock and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox is also opposing the plan by Land Value Alliances (LVA) saying it “represents inappropriate development in an unsuitable location outside the adopted local plan”. 

The applicants are promising 30 per cent of affordable housing on the site, an upgraded junction with better visibility proposed at Mount Tavy Road and the northern field left largely open, to form new open space with footpaths and attractive views across the landscape to the north.

They also propose downgrading of the central section of Violet Lane for the dedicated use of cyclists and pedestrians.

Section 106 obligations anticipate contributions towards education provision, transport improvements, open space and other community infrastructure.

A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “As the highway authority, Devon County Council reviews planning applications to assess the impact they could have on local roads and junctions. This includes considering transport information submitted by developers as part of the planning process.

“Separately, our transport planning team is working with West Devon Borough Council on an appraisal and access strategy for Tavistock. This work is helping to inform future local plan discussions and takes account of proposed development and future travel demand across the town.”

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.