Lamerton housing plan narrowly approved on third attempt despite strong opposition

Developers have won approval to build homes in the countryside at Lamerton after a third attempt.

West Devon Borough Council’s planning committee narrowly gave the go-ahead for a 20-home scheme by Baker Estates on land close to the Blacksmiths Arms. 

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The development will include six affordable houses.

The site has been refused for development twice because it went against policies in the joint local plan, which dictates where homes will be built. 

A planning inspector also dismissed an appeal in 2022.

However, new housing targets set by the Government mean the council now has only around half the number of housing sites it needs for future development.

This means the current joint local plan is effectively out of date, and the council must consider sites that were previously deemed unfavourable if they are in locations with nearby services and facilities.

Speaking on behalf of Baker Estates, Arron Beecham said families were being forced to leave the area because they could not find homes locally. 

He said there were nearly 1,000 households waiting for a home in West Devon, with more than 70 people bidding for each three-bedroom property.

But, Cllr Neil Jory (Con, Milton Ford) said Lamerton had already experienced a significant amount of housing development and had “played its part”.

He said land off Greenhill in the village, granted permission for 19 homes in 2024 but not yet developed, would meet local housing needs.

“If development is allowed outside the built form of the village because the authority cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, the same could apply in many towns and villages in West Devon,” he said.

Approving the plan could “weaken the ability of the council to defend its current policies”, which he said were not redundant but simply going through a period of transition.

Cllr Jeff Moody (Ind, Tavistock North) agreed, saying the lack of a five-year land supply was not “a free pass for developers”.

He said he was not convinced the benefits of the development outweighed the harm, adding that protection of the countryside was paramount. 

Other councillors said that for an “exception site” like this they would want to see more affordable homes than the six proposed.

Planning officers, however, recommended approval of the scheme, which will include financial contributions to the NHS and to sport and play provision through a legal agreement.

Lamerton Parish Council and seven members of the public opposed the plans, although five letters of support were also submitted.

Cllr Caroline Mott (Con, Bridestowe) said Government housing requirements had “blown all local plans out of the water” and, while she was mindful of local opinion, she also had to recognise the difficult position the council had been placed in by central government.

She was also critical of developers who had delayed housebuilding or were sitting on stalled sites, saying: “Developers constantly mention the critical housing shortage but fail to recognise their own role in delivering on sites which already have permissions to build.”

The councillor opposed Baker Estates’ proposal to create a “through road” within the estate as a safer alternative to vehicles using the crossroads by the Blacksmiths Arms, warning it could become “a rat run”. She asked that it be restricted to cyclists and pedestrians only.

Cllr Graham Reed (Lib Dem, Tavistock North) agreed, saying it posed a threat to children’s safety, but was told Devon County Council highways officers supported the proposal.

The plan was approved by five votes to four.