RESIDENTS in a Tavistock cul-de-sac claim their homes and lives have been blighted by a new development. Consent for a one-and-a-half storey house in the garden of one of the bungalows at Sunway Close, off Old Launceston Road, was granted last summer by West Devon Borough Council's planning committee. Brian and Pauline Townsend live next door to the site and objected strongly to the application. Mrs Townsend said: 'It completely and utterly overlooks the bungalows, it's just overwhelming. This huge great window looks directly into two of our bedrooms, it looms over our lounge, the garden and the conservatory.' 'We feel we have been totally let down by the planning system. We are very, very bitter and upset and it's affect on our lives has been utterly depressing.' Neighbour Jill Cutts said: 'I strongly objected to putting a blooming great building in a small garden. It just doesn't fit in, I was against it from the word go.' Mrs Cutts said the building towered over surrounding homes and was completely out of place — she said residents felt their objections had been ignored. A spokesman for the borough council said planning officers were notified the development was 40cm higher than the plans approved by the council, which recently received a second application. This still showed the planned building to be 38cm higher than it should be. The spokesman said: 'We advised them to stop work — the day before a site visit was due to take place, the application was withdrawn. 'On May 1 a report requesting enforcement action was authorised by members, but deferred to allow submission of a new application.' Ward member Cllr Roy Connolly said:'To my mind, it's a development which should never have been allowed to go ahead.' Cllr Connolly said he would be calling the expected new application before the planning committee. Owner of the development Angela Vowden said she and her husband had been advised to submit a revised planning application which they had done and were awaiting the council's decision. She declined to comment further.