A PROPOSAL for 125 homes on the site of the former prep school at Mount Kelly was last week supported by members of Tavistock Town Council’s plans committee.

Last Tuesday the special meeting was held to discuss an outline planning application, for houses and flats with 40% affordable housing, which was submitted by Mount Kelly Foundation governors to West Devon Borough Council.

The meeting was organised by the town council in order to consider the application in recognition of the size and scale of the proposed development and give all members of the council and members of the public a chance to find out more about the proposal.

Tavistock Town Council is a statutory consultee and able to give views on all of the town’s planning applications submitted to the borough council.

The application includes plans to convert Hazeldon House, a redundant house in the grounds of the school, into ten flats. Parking will be provided along with landscaping to the junction with the main road.Prior to the commencement of the meeting, a presentation was given by Mark Scoot, agent for Mount Kelly Foundation governors, and Mount Kelly governor Keith Hollinshead.Mr Scoot said: ‘The application proposals will make a significant contribution towards the provision of much needed housing of different types and tenures thereby helping to address the acute shortfall in housing supply. This includes delivering up to 50 new affordable homes for local people in the area.‘The outline planning application is for 125 dwellings including the refurbishment of Hazeldon House which will be retained and converted to apartments. The 125 dwellings will include 40 per cent affordable houses — we feel there is a need for affordable housing in Tavistock.’Mr Hollinshead, who has been a governor for ten years, explained the reason behind the planning application.‘Last September we opened our 50m legacy pool and it was the only successful 50m legacy pool brought to completion and I am proud of that and I hope the town is proud of that too. But the provision of the pool came at a cost — it was a £5.5-million project and only 25 per cent of that came from Sport England, the college had to find the money and borrow from the bank.‘The school is in a sound financial position, but the sale of this site would just enable us to do more things for the foundation and pay off the loan, which is important, and allow us to also enhance our sporting facilities which will have a major benefit for the town.’‘It will also enhance the maintenance programme of the listed buildings at the college, which, again, are of true historical importance to the town.’Mr Hollinshead added that Hazeldon closed in 2014 as a result of the merger into Mount Kelly Foundation and has been a redundant brownfield site since 2014.While the site has been earmarked for an ‘extra care’ housing village within the draft Joint Local Plan, which sets out the West Devon Borough Council’s district-wide proposals for housing, it has not been allocated for general residential development.Chairman of the plans committee Paul Ward said: ‘Tavistock is required by government to develop 1,200 houses by 2030. This is not under the control of Tavistock Town Council or the borough council, it’s set by central government.‘This is an outline application — the 125 residential units will include 40 per cent affordable housing which equates to 50 houses.‘I am not entirely sure that I have been convinced of the extra care village, I am not convinced that it is necessary.’Cllr Allen Lewis said: ‘I can see why Mount Kelly want to do this, what it brings to the town is brilliant and helping Mount Kelly in this way will be an asset to the town — socially and to sport.’Around ten members of the public attended the meeting and some voiced their concerns over the planning application. Those who spoke raised their issues over the impact the increase of around 125 to 150 cars would have on the busy road; the public’s safety when using the pavement which runs alongside the A386; and whether 40% affordable housing would be guaranteed.Members of the plans committee took a vote, which was three for the application and three against. The deciding vote fell to Cllr Ward who voted to support the outline planning application.