Another 'blot' on the landscape looms

Residents are preparing to fight a second housing estate planned for a small Tavistock edge-of town community.

People living off Violet Lane are already opposing a plan to build 143 homes in adjacent two grazed meadows and now another developer wants to build up to 60 homes on Green Hill on a ‘wild’ ungrazed meadow with existing footpaths.

The latest plan comes as Tavistock councillors and residents unite to oppose a major expansion of the town’s population with the prospect of about 1,500 homes either planned for or approved on open countryside on the fringes of town.

The town council and the town’s MP Sir Geoffrey Cox echo concerns that Tavistock does not have the education, health and transport/road infrastructure to cope an influx of more than 3,000 residents. They support a town-wide study into the impact of hundreds of extra cars on ancient roads that struggle to cope with traffic congestion now.

The new Green Hill plan includes changing the one-way traffic priority on the hill to two-way for the top half to use a new estate access road. There will be no through-road to Tavistock via the new estate for vehicles.

Locals say there are good reasons for the hill being one-way now, as it is too narrow and steep to take two lanes, while the access at the bottom, with poor visibility, onto Mount Tavy Road, would not be safe for extra traffic. Residents also say the footpaths, which the developer wants to move, are also only suitable for people with good mobility.

Resident Paul Mercer, of Fern Avenue, said: “Unfortunately, a new blot on the horizon has emerged. It seems that yet another development company want to build no less than 65 houses on the other side of Green Hill to the Violet Lane plans.

“Needless to say, this new development, coupled with the Violet Lane development – if they both go ahead, will mean a total 208 new houses with the obvious increase of vehicles – which in turn will increase the traffic going up Green lane to access the Whitchurch Road junction at the end of Down Road and of course will also increase the amount of traffic going down Green Hill to access Mount Tavy Road and the A386.

“Sadly, it seems that today there is nowhere around Tavistock which has even a small patch of green which is safe from these marauding developers. I’d urge anyone to have a look on the West Devon website to see what the developers are trying to do and put in your objection to stop these people ruining your town.”

A range of homes and sizes are proposed: three two-bed flats, 18 three-bed houses, nine two-bed houses, 25 four-bed houses and five self-build, of which 18 are deemed ‘affordable’.

The applicant Mr, Mr & Mrs Aubery, Doidge & Doidge Turner, of Tavistock Green Ltd, say the scheme is of ‘relatively’ low density. Mature vegetation, including trees and hedges, will be retained, with added planting and green space.

The application number on the West Devon Borough Council website planning portal is 0491/26/OPA. Objections have to be submitted by Thursday, August 6.