NEW plans for a housing development in Heathfield that include a recreational area are 'a step in the right direction'.
Alternative plans for the Browhill Ridge estate were put forward by Midas Homes at a public meeting at the Heathfield Community centre on Tuesday.
Twenty-four homes are still on the cards, but the developers have re-arranged housing units to create a green area for residents.
But Musket Road resident Tracey MacMahon believes there is still some way to go.
She said: 'Midas are desperately trying to come to a compromise, but what they came up with is not wholly acceptable.
'Perhaps they need to give us more open land.'
Representatives of Midas Homes, district and county authorities, Heathfield primary school, Bovey Tracey town council and more than 30 residents attended the meeting.
Suggestions put forward for the development included a reduction in the number of houses but making them larger, allowing hardstanding at school to be used as a play area, changing layout of the housing, and removing proposed traffic-calming schemes.
The mayor of Bovey Tracey, Cllr David Risdon, who chaired the meeting, said it was 'a lively and sparky meeting'.
He said: 'Clearly residents are very concerned about the development, as is the town council, and we are looking for the best resolution rather than one side winning over the other.'
'The plans showed that Midas had moved houses slightly to create a space, but whether or not that space is altogether useful, I don't know.'
'But it is a start and we can probably agree a slightly better arrangement.'
Rod Stone, Midas Home representative, said: 'We are now considering our options after listening to what was said at the meeting.'