A rebellion is brewing over claims that Teignbridge Council has over-calculated the number of new homes needed in the next 20 years by as much as one-third.

The council's draft Core Strategy has set a target of 740 new homes a year, 14,800 in total, but Newton Abbot Cllr Kelvyn Shantry says that is completely unrealistic. 

Over the past decade only half that number have been completed each year. He says that there are some 3,000 new homes in the pipeline but developers are sitting on land because demand is flat.

A more realistic figure, he says, would be around 500 – still a 40 per cent increase on current figures and a fantastic achievement.

'We need some housing. I'm not a zero growth fanatic, I just want to get the figures right,' he said.

Cllr Shantry is ward member for Wolborough, which would see massive expansion under the plan.

Shocked at the scale of proposed development, he says he subjected the data used to assess housing need to forensic examination, uncovering fundamental errors.

His main criticism – officers chose to ignore data which shows a slump in housing demand from its peak in 2007.

He also challenges the forecast on population growth.

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