A NEW estate of 23 properties on the edge of Ashburton has been OK’d by Dartmoor planners.

Town councillors had called for a proportion of the new-builds at Brewery Meadow to be affordable housing units to satisfy Ashburton’s chronic shortage of  homes for young local families.

But national park members agreed such godsends could be excluded from the site off Stonepark  because of ’significant’ extra costs for developers.

Head of planning Chris Hart revealed that ’considerable constraints’ together with an assortment of ’odd costs’ had scuppered chances to rope in affordable homes on the site just off the A38.

Developers’ agent Nigel Holt estimated that the builders had been saddled with some £750,000 worth of additional challenges on the narrow site which houses the soon-to- move Tuckers outlet.

These included large removing large quantities of asbestos, re-modelling the passage of river straddling the plot to alleviate flood threats and other ’abnormals.’

Members of the national park’s development management committee were told on Friday that the two to three-bedroom properties were aimed at the lower end of the market.

They wanted congestion in the area eased by closing access from Stonepark during the period of construction.

Committee member Jeremy Christophers complimented all those involved in the development, adding that the design of the proposed properties ’looked really nice.’

He added: ’The treatment of the flood alleviation issue adds something to the public realm. It’s a job well done by everyone.’

Stuart Barker felt nearby town centre businesses would benefit by the project.

He hoped other  parties in the vicinity would consider re-locating as it ’might well be what they need.’

He added that ambitions of developing the historical railway site at the location remained unresolved.

Cllr Barker conceded that other potential sites for affordable homes in the town were ’struggling to get off the ground.’