A CONTROVERSIAL bid to build up to 90 homes on a prominent Kingsteignton site is to be heard at a public inquiry.

Developers Codex Land Promotions have been trying to secure planning permission for the scheme at Penns Mount for two years but have encountered strong opposition from residents and the town council.

Planners at Teignbridge Council have yet to make a decision on the scheme.

But the developers have already launched an appeal against the council’s ‘non-determination’.

This is expected to be heard in May.

Acting on behalf of Codex, PCL Planning has put forward a case of arguments in favour of the scheme including the fact that Teignbridge Council does not have a ‘deliverable’ five year supply of housing land.

Kingsteignton town councillors are ‘vigorously’ opposed to the application.

They say the green space area on top of the prominent hill at the entrance to the town was intended to be five hectares not the 1.34 now proposed.

In a response to the application, councillors said: ‘The council feels that this is a monstrosity that the green space has been allowed to be reduced to this extent.’

They have ‘grave concerns’ over road safety issues with three entrances from various sites on the hill onto what is already a busy road.

They also argue that this latest application is overdevelopment and taking away what little green space remains in Kingsteignton.

The application is further complicated by the presence of important and archaeological remains on the site which are regarded as having regional significance.

Devon County Council’s historic environment team has lodged an objection to the plans saying: ‘The proposed development will involve the destruction of this significant heritage site.’

Investigations have confirmed the presence of a large part of a late Iron Age and Romano-British double ditched enclosure within the development site.

The enclosure is in a prominent position on the landscape.

A raft of objections also came in from residents concerned about the loss of green space and the impact of additional traffic.

Newton Abbot Civic Society objected on the grounds that the areas concerned should be retained as open space between the housing estate recently built on the north western slopes of Penn’s Mount and the ones being and to be built around the rest of the hill.

Codex argue that the development would have no adverse impact that would ‘significantly or demonstrably outweigh the benefits of allowing the proposal’.

The company says there would be no ‘significant’ adverse landscape impact and the development has ‘satisfactory’ open space.

It also points out it will deliver affordable housing for the town and that the ‘release of this site is needed to meet identified housing needs’.