A CONSERVATION charity is urging Teignbridge residents to object to the wording of a new Government planning proposal which, they say, could open the door to a ‘building free-for-all’ on Dartmoor and in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England is warning some of the most beautiful, ‘protected’ landscapes will be at serious risk from housing developments under the new Government proposals, for which public consultation ends on Thursday.

The charity is urging residents to object to the vague and ambiguous wording of the new proposed National Planning Policy Framework – which sets out the Government’s policies on proposed developments and how they are applied.

Rebecca Bartleet, chairman of Campaign to Protect Rural England Devon said: ‘The omission and addition of a few words in the proposed National Planning Policy Framework document has huge implications for some of our most precious and valued landscapes.

‘If this wording goes unchallenged, it will result in these areas being handed to developers “on a plate”.

‘We have to fight tooth and nail to stop our national parks and AONB being sacrificed to unnecessary building.’

Paragraph 115 of the existing National Planning Policy Framework says: ‘Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in national parks, The Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.’

But keywords are omitted in the new proposed version. The new Paragraph 170 says only: ‘Great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in national parks, The Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.’ It leaves out the rest of the original sentence.

Rebecca added: ‘What is the purpose of national parks and AONBs if they are not afforded the highest level of protection against inappropriate development which would harm the landscape and the scenic beauty?’

The proposals go on to say: ‘The scale and extent of development within these designated areas should be limited. Planning permission should be refused for major development other than in exceptional circumstances, and where it can be demonstrated that the development is in the public interest.’

Residents have until Thursday, May 10 to make their comments and objections, by responding directly online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-revised-national-planning-policy-framework or by email to [email protected].