CALLS supporting a proposal to build houses in Tavistock in exchange for restoring a rail link have been branded a potential 'national blueprint' by rail enthusiasts. Plans by Kilbride Community Rail to build 750 homes and a railway station at Monksmead were supported in a page article in Rail Magazine, a periodical aimed at professionals in the industry. Members of the Devon and Cornwall branch of Railfuture, an independent campaign for a better passenger and freight rail network, are also backing calls for the £18.5-million reopening of the 5.5- mile single track section from Bere Alston to Tavistock. In his comment page, Rail Magazine journalist Nigel Harris said: 'As Tavistock residents have argued — they're going to get hundreds of new houses anyway — why not get them in a way that reconnects them to the rail network?' Writing about the Kilbride Community Railway bid to build 750 houses in Tavistock and use profits to reinstate the town's railway to Bere Alston, Mr Harris said: 'Such partnerships are not new — but they usually result in housing developments being permitted in exchange for the developer building a road bypass. 'It's about time we found a way to crack this problem, because whilst the rapidly increasing need for more rail of all kinds is mind-blowingly obvious, we are appalling at providing it.' But not everyone has welcomed such a development. Tavistock Town Council has already objected to the proposal by the community rail group. Mr Harris concedes that reinstating branches to places such as Princetown could not be economically justified, but many closed lines between towns could be cost-effectively restored. 'At Tavistock, there's a real chance that rail will return, in a way that provides a pragmatic blueprint for financing reinstatements elsewhere. 'Let's try and ensure reinstated railways are part of the deal, wherever possible. 'The rail industry should really get organised and start lobbying and really making an argument. 'It sounds like they could do worse than talk to Kilbride, too.' His words were backed by Rail Future member Garth Smith from Northam near Bideford, a member of the Devon and Cornwall branch of Railfuture. He said the Government would not back new railways in England, as they have in Scotland, nor electrification of the line, so such private partnerships to build railways should be welcomed. He said: Transport into Plymouth from Tavistock by car or bus is terrible, it takes you half an hour and this is the best chance of having a new railway for years because the Government won't fund them. But Tavistock councillor Ted Sherrell said: 'I believe to have 750 houses is far too high a price for a railway link of just over five miles. 'This number of houses will lead to another big increase in the population of the town and even more strain on an already overburdened infrastructure.' Fellow town councillor Michael Harper described Kilbride Community Rail Group's proposal for a train station at Monksmead and 750 houses was 'one of the biggest follies he had ever heard'. Cllr Harper said: 'It's no good just taking people from the wrong side of Tavistock and dumping them in the wrong side of Plymouth — and I cannot agree with the claims that it will just take half an hour for the journey. 'It will be quicker to drive by car to Plymouth than by rail.' He points out that any train journey to Plymouth, especially for rail users going to work in the city, would not leave most of them at the main work areas such as the industrial estates, and people would still have to take a bus or taxi to get to their destination. Mr Harper argues that if there are an extra 750 houses, at two per home, that there will be 1,500 adults but not all of them are going to be working in Plymouth. He told the Times: I'm not against the railway, I'm against the price we would have to pay by having this huge 750 housing development, more than the size of the new Manor Estate and Tiddybrook developments.' The proposals are presently with West Devon Borough Council for consideration and a revised preferred option for future development published next month is expected, which will then go to public consultation.