FRESH calls have been made to immediately throw out a controversial scheme to build 1,500 homes on green countryside just outside Newton Abbot.

The trio of Newton Says No members, who are now Teignbridge councillors, urged the district authority to spike the project – earmarked for land at Wolborough – once and for all.

But Cllrs Liam Mullone, Janet Bradford and Richard Daws were told on Monday that it was ‘not legally possible’ to immediately scrap farmer Anthony Rew’s venture.

The group wanted Teignbridge to remove the contentious plans – known as NA3 – from its Local Plan document – which allocated the land for development in the first place.

Cllr Daws explained: ‘Newton Says No asks that NA3 be removed from its designation as development land by the executive.

‘As demonstrated to the planning inspectorate, Teignbridge has five-and-a-half years land/housing supply and that its target for housing is already 70 per cent built and way ahead of schedule.’

He added: ‘There is nothing in favour of retaining it as development land. Thus, in line with the recently passed motion of climate change emergency, it needs to be removed from the local plan immediately.’

Cllr Gary Taylor, who is in charge of the authority’s planning, revealed the only way to quickly stop the major house building project was to scrap the entire Local Plan.

He reckoned the council would be in great danger if they threw out the planning blueprint.

Cllr Taylor explained: ‘It would leave us with no planning policies at all, no affordable housing requirements, no settlement limits, no design guidance and no five-year land supply.

‘Our planning decisions would be ad hoc and reactive, leaving all of our communities facing speculative and unplanned development.

‘I hope we can all agree that this would be a highly damaging and irresponsible step for the council to take.’

It was revealed the only legal way to reconsider the scheme – headed for 165 acres of land between Newton and Abbotskerswell – was through an update of the Local Plan.

But it is feared a decision on the Government’s hearing to determine the Wolborough scheme – which will continue next month – will be announced before a review can take place.