WE are very pleased and relieved that Redrow's outline planning application for 120 houses on the beautiful meadow at Anderton Lane, Whitchurch, has been refused by WDBC planning officers. They published the decision on Friday, October 17 under delegated powers, so the application didn't go to the planning committee. Eight reasons were given on the decision notice with more detail in the report by the planning officers, both available on the WDBC website through the planning search using ref. 00756/2014. The reasons were mainly as we expected, briefly: 1. The proposed site is an unallocated greenfield site outside the Tavistock settlement boundary. 2. Redrow had not shown that the development was necessary or that there were no other sites available with a lower flood risk. 3. An important area of green space and a significant section of hedge would be lost, with an adverse detrimental impact on the landscape setting on the southern edge of the town. 4. The proposed pedestrian footway on the southern side of Anderton Lane to Plymouth Road may not be deliverable. 5. Redrow had not agreed to a Section 106 Agreement to provide the required 40% of affordable housing. 6. Redrow had not agreed to make contributions of £306,500 towards primary education provision. 7. Redrow had not agreed to a contribution of £161,184 towards offsite playing pitches. 8. Redrow had not agreed to 'appropriate contributions' to offsite works to mitigate impact on the highway network. (£1 million towards the railway project had been proposed). There were 153 letters of objection to the proposals and two in support, and also a petition with 26 signatures in support of Redrow building a new Pre-school if the application were to be approved. Marysu Godfrey and I have worked hard over the last 15 months to draw people's attention to what was being planned, but the massive quantity of responses was purely down to all those individual residents taking the time and trouble to express their varied and heartfelt views about Redrow's proposals.   We are so grateful to everyone who responded, and for the advice and help we have been given, and we are sure the quantity and quality of residents' objections gave the planning officers solid reassurance when they made their decision to refuse. We are not celebrating yet though, because we think Redrow are unlikely to walk away — they have already invested a lot of time and money in the process and they may well appeal the decision or submit amended proposals.  We must be ready to respond to whatever action Redrow take next. The issue of unsuitable and unsustainable development is a vital one, not just for Whitchurch but for the whole of Tavistock. Alison Wright, Whitchurch Road, Tavistock Marysu Godfrey, Dipper Drive, Whitchurch