A Newton Abbot elder statesman has warned that residents are at risk of sleepwalking their way into a concrete jungle.

Henry Cole, 80-year-old former mayor appointed the town's first honorary freeman for his lifetime of commitment, has said people are unaware of what is being planned for the future.

In January an eight-week public consultation is due to begin on the district's development masterplan for the next 20 years.

On the cards in the Teignbridge Core Strategy are almost 15,000 homes and projects to create thousands of jobs.

Mr Cole, the instigator of the Christmas Victorian shopping evening and the project to open St Leonard's Tower to visitors, said people were unaware of what was at stake.

FULL STORY IN OUR DIGITAL EDITION