RESIDENTS in Dean Prior are crying foul over an application to build business premises on a greenfield site in the village.

The application, for a two- storey development consisting of a showroom, stock room, office and 19 parking spaces, to be built just off the Dean Prior slip road of the A38, has been submitted by the owner of Dean Forge, Michael Chew, who sits on the village's parish council.

In December, the parish council in Dean Prior voted unanimously in favour of the development, citing benefits to local employment in their reasoning, and the final decision now rests with the Dartmoor National Park Authority

But villagers are up in arms at the thought of the ancient orchard being turned into a retail outlet and have turned on the parish council for allowing the plan to pass through so hastily, despite the obvious strength of public opposition.

'We feel very disillusioned with the council,' said one woman, whose home in Cross View looks directly onto the orchard. 'In the past councillors have taken the view that the area is already under pressure from developments and the dual-carriageway, but now it has been allowed to go through without a hitch.

'If this goes ahead it will ruin the area completely. I'm not a political animal at all, but there are times in your life when you have to be true to yourself, to your area and your neighbours and we must stand up to them.'

At a Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meeting on February 10, planning officer Colin Jarvis recommended that the authority refuse the application on the grounds that it would result in increased industrial traffic and noise and would constitute 'an unjustified expansion of an existing business'.

Mr Jarvis also pointed out to members that the development would be contrary to certain park and Structure Plan policies. However, authority members decided on a site visit, which took place last Friday.

As well as a number of Dean Prior residents, keen to show their disapproval of the plans, this visit was also attended by Michael Chew and his son, Simon.

Surveying the site inspection and the group of protesters from a distance, Mr Chew said the whole thing had been blown out of proportion.

'There's a lot of misapprehension about this,' he said. 'People think we are building an industrial unit, but it is only going to be a showroom and offices.

'We already have the support of the Environment Agency, who say this will not affect them.

'This land will be built upon at some point – people are just burying their heads in the sand.'

Reacting to the allegations that he used his position on the parish council to ensure a smooth passage for the application, Mr Chew said he had not been involved in the process at all.

'This will benefit the local community far more than any luxury homes could,' said Simon Chew, pertaining to an application by Tor Homes to build on the site in 1987.

Also speaking at the site, parish council chairman Neil Rutley said the council believed the new development would benefit local employment. This angered the assembled protesters, who said the forge did not and would not employ anyone from the Dean Prior area.

The outcome of the site visit will be discussed by the DNPA planning committee on Friday, March 7.