DANGER for children and traffic chaos has been predicted if 30 new houses are built behind the Boughthayes estate in Tavistock.

Feelings ran high as more than 50 people attended a residents' meeting on Monday when property developer Jim Powell faced a barrage of questions.

Paul Pridham, residents' association chairman, said Boughthayes was built in the 1930s when traffic was not a problem.

'This could become a rat-run — the roads are very narrow and we are already having parking problems,' he said.

Mr Pridham said cars double-parked when they could not find available space — he said the back entrance into Boughthayes via Maudlins Lane was also very narrow, steep and had no pavements.

'Children and traffic don't mix. We are asked to accept a proposal which will affect us all — we must decide at what cost to the people of Boughthayes.'

Nicky Johnson was also worried about children's safety.

'We have very steep embankments for gardens so our children play in the road — are you going to do anything about speed?' she said.

Ian Lashbrook said: 'You are putting in 30 houses, that's 60 more cars down that road. I'd like to see your children playing there.'

Jeff Lawson, who lives at Mount Ford, said 'whatever the theory', there would be more traffic using Maudlins Lane.

'They will be slaloming through old age pensioners and dodging the kids,' he said.

'I feel the whole thing has not been thought out very well — why are we at this point? I can't understand how it's got this far,' he said.

Ann Knight said: 'I live on Callington Road but the parking is atrocious. You are restricting these parking areas — it's going to be murder,' she said.

Diane Simpson said when residents at Mount Ford were forced to use Boughthayes for parking recently it was 'chaos'.

'That was just six extra cars,' she said.

She said if a builder's lorry got stuck and an emergency occurred the services would be unable to get to the scene.

Mike Hall was badly affected when Callington Road was flooded during the Christmas period. He was worried about a similar situation occurring again.

'I am not against building per se but I feel this particular project is too ambitious,' he said.

Builder Jim Powell, of Corporate Developers, said: 'Regarding parking we shall not really be increasing the problem because the houses will be provided with two spaces each.'

He said his company was willing to improve the entrance to Boughthayes by tarmacing the road, creating a footpath and parking spaces — though there was no requirement to do so.

Mr Powell said the screen on the culvert which flooded recently would be replaced with a larger one to alleviate blockages — he said run-off water would also be reduced by the development.

He said he would make 'a personal effort' to talk to the highways department about additional traffic using Maudlins Lane.

West Devon ward member David Stapleton assured residents councillors would examine the traffic strategy before any development took place.

The county's highways department was not represented at the meeting.

A spokesman said the proposals were still being looked at — final details have not yet been decided.

Boughthayes is partly owned by West Devon Homes. Tenant liaison officer Andy Ames said: 'There are obviously strong feelings about this development — I don't think the whole traffic management problem in the area has been thought through.'