MORE than 30 affordable homes have been given the go-ahead by Teignbridge planners.

Ten are to go on council-owned land at Tedburn St Mary and another 21 will be built at Chudleigh Knighton.

Teign Housing and Hastoe Housing Association are collaborating on the scheme at Tremletts Close, Tedburn St Mary. All the two to four-bedroom homes will be for social rent.

The Chudleigh Knighton scheme will go on pasture land opposite Devon Heath. The two and three-bedroom home scheme is being developed by First Steps Homes, with 19 for rent and two for shared equity.

Chris Straker, of First Step homes, told members of the development control committee, on Monday, that the grant aid was in place and that builders could be on site in January 2010.

He warned that if they were forced to pay the £163,000 developer contributions as requested, the project would be killed stone dead.

Contributions in the form of Section 106 agreements are routinely negotiated between the applicant and local authority to pay towards roads, play areas, education and other infrastructure costs which arise as a result of new houses.

The increasing burden of these payments on developers, and the knock-on effect on house prices, has long been a matter of concern. At Monday's meeting, head of planning John Collier-Marsh reported that both applicants had said they could not afford the payments.

Councillors took the decisive step of striking out the educational contributions asked for by Devon County Council of £55,000 for Tedburn St Mary and £57,000 for Chudleigh Knighton. Additional costs were pared from the Chudleigh Knighton scheme cutting the Section 106 agreement to £63,000.

Council leader Cllr Alan Connett said: 'We all want the housing. It is about viability.'

Chudleigh Knighton resident Steve Hadley objected to the First Steps scheme, warning the development could become a sink estate, creating a 'them and us' culture.

Cllr Connett brushed this away, saying: 'These will be local homes for local people. I hope these residents will be welcomed, because they are from your own community.'

Mr Simon Robertson, a consultant paediatrician, whose listed longhouse adjoins the Tedburn St Mary site, also objected.

He said that the Tremletts Close scheme would be overcrowded and would cause a loss of privacy.

Mr Collier-Marsh pointed out that the proposed density was 41 homes a hectare – well within government's recommendation of between 30 and 50 homes a hectare.