A MAJOR stage in the plan to connect the rail line between Tavistock and Bere Alston in exchange for permission to build 750 homes at Monksmead has been cleared after a meeting of West Devon Borough Council on Tuesday.

Councillors passed by 22 votes to 6 its core strategy document, which provides the broad strategic approach to managing change and development within West Devon to 2026.

The decision means that Kilbride Community Rail, the Scottish-owned, Surrey-based company is on track with its investment of £18.5-million to restore the five and a half miles of line, which was last in use in the 1960s.

Restoring the Bere Alston line will mean there would be a service to link Tavistock with Plymouth.

Peter Frost, the managing director of Kilbride, whose company has an outline plan for development of the rail link and housing with West Devon, was 'absolutely delighted' with the result of the vote.

He told the Times: 'It is a very important vote for the project and we are very pleased that the members have backed the core strategy document.

'It is the first part of the future development of Tavistock and a very significant step for the town.'

Kilbride, which is currently working on a number of such community rail schemes throughout the country, has already put two years of planning and investment into the project.

This is the first of three major hurdles for Kilbride to overcome to see their plan bear fruition. The first is the backing of the core strategy, within the local development framework; the second is the planning application and thirdly permission for a Transport and Works Act order for the line.

It could mean the Tavistock to Bere Alston railway line would be in operation as early as 2013.

James McInnes, the leader of West Devon Borough Council, was also delighted fellow members backed recommendation of the core strategy.

He said that although the vote was not about the Kilbride plans in particular it was a backing for the principle of a rail link for Tavistock.

'I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring the rail link back to Tavistock.

'At the moment we have cheaper fuel because of the recession, but in the future fuel prices will rise again so a rail link for the town becomes even more important.'

One of the six councillors to vote against the core strategy was Ted Sherrell, a ward member for Tavistock South.

He said: 'I am totally opposed to the entire scheme concerning the Monksmead area, permitting the building of 750 houses there — it is far too high a price to pay for just five miles of rail track.

'A development on this scale would house a population, probably, of 2,500 people, thus creating a new, small satellite town.

'This would put further strain on an already overburdened infrastructure, and change, inevitably, the character of Tavistock and the quality of life of local people, mainly for the worse.

West Devon's core strategy itself will now go out to the public in May for six weeks of consultation, where there is an opportunity for a relatively few minor adjustments to be incorporated.

It will then be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in September then a planning inspector from the Government will hold a public examination in January 2010,

It is likely to be adopted by the council by late spring, early summer next year.