AN application to create a wedding venue in a West Devon beauty spot has sparked concern from residents and visitors to the area.

The owners of Lower Grenofen, situated by the river in the heart of the Walkham Valley, have applied for change of use of their garage and part of the property's curtilage to form a wedding ceremony and reception venue.

People living nearby say the site is inappropriate for such a commercial venture.

But the applicants say they have worked hard to overcome noise and highway concerns.

Objector Ingrid Antliffe, who lives at Grenofen Manor, claimed the venture would damage and be detrimental to an area of outstanding natural beauty and the adjacent site of special scientific interest.

She said: 'The site is not sustainable and despite measures to limit additional traffic there will still be a significant increase in vehicles using the access lane which, being a steep narrow lane bounded by high Devon banks with limited passing places, is totally inadequate to support this. 

'Despite mitigation measures to limit the noise from music it will still affect the wildlife in the immediate vicinity and there will be a wider noise nuisance from the large numbers of people in celebratory mode until the early hours of the morning.'

Grenofen residents Liz and Jamie Fulton were concerned about limited road access, and 'the associated significant accident risk posed to riders, walkers, animals and vehicles, the noise and light pollution, the disruption of a natural and idyllic woodland area widely used by local and visiting families'.

Edward Hopkins, of Yelverton, said he was 'dismayed' by the application: 'The noise created will destroy this peaceful area. The extra traffic generated on the tiny public road will cause chaos for other users with all the marquee lorries, catering vans etc.'

Many letters of objection have been sent to West Devon Borough Council's planning department, including one from Sustrans, which is concerned about additional traffic in the lane which provides a link to the Drake's Trail cycle route.

The application was originally submitted to the council last summer but withdrawn due to noise and highways concerns.

Nicola Evans said since then, she and her husband, Dr Stephen Nash, had worked hard to overcome these issues.

They have agreed to pay for two extra passing places in the approach lane, and have formulated a 'green travel plan' involving two local taxi companies, who will be employed to bring guests to and from the venue to reduce traffic movements.

They have also employed an acoustic engineer to create a new sound system which directs sound downwards — noise measurements taken during a 'field demonstration' revealed that the system had solved any problem for neighbouring properties.

Ms Evans said the wedding venue was barely visible in the summer, when the trees were in full leaf, and the couple had also created new screening by planting rhododendrons and a laurel hedge.

She said the business would be using local traders and providing extra businesses for accommodation providers in the area.

The consultation period for the application finishes at 5pm today (Thursday).