SOUTH Hams councillors have approved a controversial plan to create a ‘new village’ of 70 homes in the face of local opposition, and against the advice of their own planning officer.

The site at Collaton Cross near Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo has been granted outline permission for the houses, as well as 20 allotments, land for community sports facilities and play space, boat storage, business units, and contributions towards the local bus service, education and a cycle and footpath.

Although the former Ministry of Defence land is within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, councillors were swayed by the promise that 50 per cent of the houses would be ‘affordable’. The government’s presumption in favour of sustainable development also weakens the position of South Hams Council in refusing applications for housing.

The decision had been deferred from a previous South Hams Council development committee meeting after councillors asked for more information.

Objections at the earlier meeting had been voiced by John Tighe of the River Yealm & District Association and Alan Cooper, vice-chairman of Newton and Noss Parish Council. Planning case officer Thomas Jones had also recommended that the application be refused.

Discussing the case at a meeting of the parish council held before the decision was made, cllr Cooper said that the needs of the parish were for affordability, not a new village. He also questioned the point of the parish council debating planning applications, if district councillors representing the area went against local opinion.

Following te decision, development committee chair cllr Robert Steer said: ‘The government has been talking a great deal in the last couple of weeks about the national housing crisis. Local authorities are now in a position where we have to provide a five year supply of land to build homes on, or the government will take control of the system for us and make it happen.

‘I am proud of the councillors who gave this application lengthy consideration, taking every aspect into account It is not an easy decision to agree to build in an AONB, but the location of the site, the quality of the application, which offers the creation of a community and not just the building of homes, plus the benefits for the wider district of affordable homes cannot be ignored.

‘I am pleased to see that our members are committed to delivering much needed affordable homes when a good application is presented to them.’