AN AFFORDABLE housing plan for North Tawton, described as the potential 'slums of the future' by opponents, has been thrown out by West Devon planners.

Charity West Devon Homes has vowed to appeal against the decision which it says is influenced by the arguments of a number of local objectors rather than any material planning considerations.

It fears now the social housing subsidy from Central Government may be lost to West Devon due to a lengthy appeal process.

The controversial proposal to build 19 homes at Barton Hill, which was recommended for approval by planning officers, was opposed on the grounds of density, design and road safety.

Chairman of North Tawton Town Council John Kinsey said he was very pleased that all the concerns of the people of the town had been taken on board by the planning committee.

'The overall opinion of the people at a public meeting in North Tawton about future development was against the design and style of this particular development,' he said.

'Approving this would set a precedent for similar types of sites throughout North Tawton and West Devon.'

Mr Kinsey told the planning committee on Tuesday: 'We believe in time these houses will be the slums of the future.'

He said a single storey development of lower density would be more acceptable on the allotment land and open ground at Barton Hill. No-one was against houses being erected on the site, he said.

Additional pedestrians and traffic on the narrow road at Barton Hill in a part of the town that was already congested would cause more problems and raised issues of safety, he told the committee.

He said the opinion of a highways engineer at the recent site meeting was that if the development was outside the town settlement it would not be allowed from a safety point of view .

It was believed that with construction lorries on site for at least a year a serious accident on that road was 'inevitable'.

But planning officers said there were no material planning reasons why the proposal should be turned down.

County Highways had not objected to the plans and it was proposed to widen the existing road to a five-metre width along its whole length and to construct footways on either side and create a new turning area. This would improve the current sub-standard access road and highway safety for all residents, said officers.

The committee was told that the density was in line with the existing housing and design was a weak issue in planning terms unless the site was of historic value.

The principal landscape officer's view was that the existing housing at Barton Hill was 'extremely prominent' in the landscape but the new development would improve the view.

West Devon Homes' chief executive Stuart Davies said the decision by the committee was a 'bitter blow'.

'It is clearly influenced by the arguments of a number of local objectors rather than by any material planning considerations,' he said.

He said West Devon was the enabler of social housing and West Devon Homes the provider.

'We had been directed to develop these homes following discussion with the council about the type and location of affordable housing,' he said.

'In conjunction with Central Government the council had pledged over £480,000 grant aid to the £1-million project. That funding is now in jeopardy.

'In recent years there has been virtually no new affordable housing developed and greater numbers of local people have been excluded from owner occupation because of rising house prices.'

Mr Davies said the decision had put the whole process back nine months and was a long time for people to wait who desperately needed accommodation — there are currently 63 applicants seeking homes in North Tawton.

He added that the houses reflected the standards required by the council and were to a higher specification than those sold by private developers to the owner occupier market who were simply meeting building control standards.

'We remain confident of a successful outcome to any future appeal and West Devon Homes will be seeking not only to overturn the decision but also to recover costs for what is undoubtably going to be an involved and drawn out appeal process,' he said.