Cllr Ken Tuckett, of Woodlands, Kingsteignton:

Evidence submitted to the Secretary of State disclosed that WBBM's application for housing development on the Newcross Pond site was made in agreement with Devon County Council (DCC) and Teignbridge Council (TDC) in accordance with the development proposals for Kingsteignton contained within the Bovey Basin Strategy.

If permission was withheld WBBM threatened action for compensation.

The Bovey Basin Strategy was agreed by DCC, TDC, Kingsteignton Parish Council, seven other parish and town councils, WBB Devon Clays, Viridor Waste Management Co. Ltd., Clifford Estates Co. Ltd and others.

The Strategy was approved and adopted in 2001 and might reasonably be considered why the urban extension of Kingsteignton became TDC's preferred development option despite independent consultants advising it was not financially viable and was incapable of delivering the required affordable housing, education facilities and other essential infrastructure.

Predetermination and the inability to deliver all those essential requirements has been the Kingsteignton Residents Environmental Awareness Group's (KREAG) consistent objection to the development.

We wait to see how the councils and WBBM resolve their differences now that the Secretary of State has given, for KREAG, her anticipated decision to refuse the application.

In the meantime, I will continue to attempt to convince my fellow parish councillors that the community of Kingsteignton has the right to know whether the current parish council supports or opposes the proposed development of Kingsteignton which has been in the public domain for the past five years.

At September's meeting they declined to make that decision.