THE question of whether the proposed 900-home development to the east of Okehampton would affect the social and economic balance of the town came under the spotlight at the examination of the West Devon core strategy last Thursday.

On the third day of the six-day public hearing at West Devon Borough Council's offices in Tavistock, planning inspector Paul Crysell focused on the key effects the strategy will have on Okehampton.

His first query was that with 900 houses proposed by the borough for the east of the town by 2026 could that development be better accommodated elsewhere?

Stephen Gill, representing Okehampton Town Council and the Stockley Residents' Group, said the town council was not objecting to the promotion of additional development in the east, but it suggested the larger build there should take place in conjunction with 'some development' to the west of the town.

Central Devon MP Mel Stride supported Mr Gill and added that he was concerned with the delivery of the planned relief road to the town that was vital to any development.

He said:?'The town is lopsided in retail terms. Development should not be in Okehampton on this scale but should be spread out to smaller communities.'

Tim Holden, WYG Group planning consultant on behalf of a landowner, said the town could not conveniently spread out evenly in all directions as the typography in Devon would not allow it.

'Planners should put in place a connectivity of services to upset that imbalance,' he said.

Speaking in support of the borough council's plan for the development in the east, David Black, head of transportation at Devon County Council, said there was a need to have an 'element of scale' and it would be 'more possible to support' with nearby Exeter providing a retail and leisure attraction for the new residents, combined with the possibility of an improved rail link to the city.

However, later at the inquiry Mr Gill said: 'The development in Exeter should not be the criteria for considering the development of Okehampton.'

Marion Playle, head of housing and strategic planning, added that consultation undertaken by the council showed there was not much support for housing in the west of the town and that any such development would be limited to 150 houses — but the east had potential for up to 1,500 homes by 2026.

But Nils Westman, representing landowners, argued that, as Okehampton had a population of around 7,000, an additional 900 in the east of the town — on top of the 500 already given the go-ahead — would create a huge 'imbalance' especially on the increase of demand to the infrastructure.

Mr Gill said: Okehampton Town Council had been inundated by comments from people in the town that they would like to see development in both the east and west balanced.'

Jo Perry, the borough council's senior planning officer, countered by saying that the borough in 2008 had received a petition of 400 signatures from the residents' association of West Ockment asking to halt any such development in the west.

When Mr Stride voiced concerns of the level of housing the town was expected to take on, Marion Playle replied that public consultation had been taken into account on how the numbers should be distributed while Jo Perry added that the location of a site convenient to the A30 and the connectivity, influenced their decisions on setting housing numbers for Okehampton.

The planning inspector asked that with such a large development in the east was there a danger of forming a community which would be 'almost divorced from Okehampton?'

Marion Playle replied: 'We have to work hard to make sure that does not happen. Access to the A30 will attract employment opportunities to Okehampton so we need to make sure that there is connectivity to the town.'

Tim Holden told the inquiry: 'Okehampton is very historic and the infrastructure reflects that. As with many settlements in this country the town faces changes if it wants to expand as a town, but in my own experience it wants to retain the facilities it has before it grows.'

But Mr Gill added that the current core strategy plan 'fell between two stools' and that one end of the town would begin to be 'much reliant on the other' especially with the new Okehampton Hospital and the proposed new primary school.

Mr Crysell asked Mr Stride why he believed in the spread of the level of growth in other communities rather than just in Okehampton.

The MP said: 'In my four and half years of canvassing as a politician I must have knocked on thousands of doors.