AN application for residential development of up to 110 homes on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Tavistock was rejected by local councillors last week.

Tavistock Town Council objected to the outline plan by 3H Investments Ltd for Butcher Park Hill, which included up to 40% affordable housing.

Last year West Devon Borough Council refused an application for detailed planning permission for housing on the same site but no appeal was made by the applicant.

The detailed proposal was thrown out at the time because it was outside the development boundary. There were also local concern about the access road to the site.

Residents spoke up during public question time at a meeting of Tavistock Town Council last Tuesday (July 14) of their concerns over this second application.

Miss Stokes said she felt that the objections to the newly submitted planning application outweighed the support.

She added that 'not a lot has changed to the area' since the last time the application was submitted and the amount of traffic was still 'dangerous for that side of town'.

'This will ruin the heart of Tavistock,' she said.

Mr Spry said: 'The main obstacle is the narrowness and steepness of Butcher Park Hill. The amount of traffic has increased and increases still and there are more HGVs using this road.'

When the first application was discussed by the town council last year, members of the council's planning committee decided to support the proposed development.

But last Tuesday, members of the full council felt that they could not support the application this time.

Cllr John Sheldon objected to the application because, he said, it was outside the settlement boundary, that there were highway issues and the increased amount of vehicle movements per day would have a deterimental impact on the area.

Cllr Philip Sanders said: 'This is one I feel strongly about. It's not an appropriate site for housing — it's creating a recipe for disaster.'

Cllr Jeff Moody added: 'I have concerns over this application and what I would say is for people to look at the first reason for refusal submitted last year [by West Devon Borough Council]. That was "the proposal would introduce an undesirable pattern of development into the open countryside. As an unsustainable unallocated site it would constitute an unacceptable urban intrusion in the rural area".'

• The deadline for representations to be sent to West Devon Borough Council's planning committee is by today (Thursday, July 23).