protesters gathered outside the West Devon Borough Council offices in Tavistock last week to voice objections to the controversial core strategy for West Devon.

Their protest was timed to coincide with a pre-hearing meeting into the strategy led by planning inspector Paul Crysell.

Around 80 residents from Tavistock and Okehampton stood outside the Kilworthy Hill offices armed with placards demonstrating opposition to the development blueprint for the next 16 years, which proposes 750 new houses for Tavistock and 900 for Okehampton.

Opponents say that building houses on the edges of Tavistock and Okehampton will create 'urban extensions'.

Campaigner Jeremy Davies said: 'We are principally against the urban sprawl. We object to the easy option that the council has chosen — they pretend to listen to our views but it comes across as a scam.'

West Devon Borough Liberal Democrat councillor Alison Clish-Green, who represents Tavistock South West, said she understood the need for a core strategy but was opposed to some of the details of the document.

She said: 'What we'd like the inspector to do is defer the detail of the location and distribution of housing in market towns, and re-look at providing more houses in smaller towns and villages to revitalise them.

'The new Coalition Government is talking about localism and empowering communities. This is a brilliant example of listening to people and implementing their views.'

Central Devon Conservative MP Mel Stride, who attended the pre-hearing meeting, said he would be arguing against housing numbers proposed for Okehampton at the public hearings and would be fighting the plans.

He criticised the plans as focusing too much additional housing on Okehampton at the expense of development in smaller communities that need affordable housing and improved facilities.

Mr Stride promised to participate in the hearings and to present the inspector with 'a clear well argued case' against the level of development for Okehampton along with the presentation of 'viable alternatives' to the current proposals.

'I am also worried that sufficient infrastructure, such as roads and facilities, will not be provided to support new homes,' he said.

Mr Stride has campaigned for several years against the level of development planned for Okehampton and has in the past presented petitions to Parliament and Number 10 Downing Street calling for a halt to the proposals.

Okehampton resident Teresa Bishop, who was at the protest, said: 'We don't need all those houses. We need affordable houses and most local people won't be able to afford these new houses.

'The villages are dying — if they had a few more houses then the villages would be able to support themselves.'

In response to the protest, a spokesperson for West Devon Borough Council said: 'West Devon Borough Council has worked extensively with its communities over the last five years to develop the core strategy development plan document.

'As a local authority, we believe our plans to be sound, appropriate and necessary to meet the needs of our residents up to 2026.

'The plans, which are based on detailed local evidence, will now be thoroughly scrutinised in public by an independent inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government.'

The public hearing sessions presided over by the planning inspector are due to start on Tuesday November 16. The public will have an opportunity to speak at those sessions.

The first few days will look at evidence for the document, including legal compliance, justification, affordable housing and accessibility, followed by a session for matters relating to Okehampton, drafted to take place on Thursday November 18 and a session for Tavistock planned for Tuesday November 23.

The public hearing sessions are due to end on Thursday November 25.