Residents living near a housing development on the outskirts of Teignmouth have demanded that Teignbridge planners take action to fix issues that led to a Stop Notice being issued earlier this month.

Around 50 residents, along with local councillors and a representative from MP Martin Wrigley’s office, gathered at Bitton House last Wednesday (May 14) to share their experiences and concerns. The community meeting came as Harrington Homes invited councillors to visit the Higher Exeter Road site.

The residents called for Teignbridge District Council to take enforcement measures and introduce a variation to the Stop Notice to ensure the developers, Harrington Homes, address flooding and pollution concerns and remove thousands of tonnes of spoil from a protected meadow.

Teignbridge District Council ordered Harrington Homes to stop work on its site at Higher Exeter Road in Teignmouth on May 2.

However, residents living near the development reported that they had witnessed activity continuing on the site after the Stop Notice had been issued with contractors working every day between Tuesday May 6 and Wednesday May 14.

Judith Watt, who convened the meeting, pointed out that the hill on which the development is taking place ‘is alive with various springs and water courses’. She asked for reassurance that work on the site would not interfere with water flow patterns.

Residents at the end of Gilbert Avenue, at the bottom of the development, said a stream running by the side of their property had overflowed for the first time since they had lived there and that this had only happened since the work on the housing estate had started.

Neighbours said they were worried that a failure to implement proper drainage and floor mitigation measures could prevent them from getting flood insurance or selling their properties.

Many at the meeting reported seeing potential pollution in Bitton Brook, the water course that runs down to the River Teign. After seeing the water run chalky white or red-brown and thick with silt instead of the usual clear water, the residents asked for assurances that the developers are implementing robust measures to prevent pollution.

Residents will also be collecting samples in sterile jam jars so the Environment Agency can test any suspected pollution in the future.

Last month, local volunteers tested water at the mouth of the brook as part of the Great UK Waterblitz and yielded a ‘poor ecological status’ result.

Near the top of the site, residents near Venn Farm were alarmed that around 5,000 tonnes of spoil was dumped on an area that is supposed to be retained grassland between March 25 and May 1. They have demanded that Teignbridge amend the Stop Notice so the developers can remove the spoil and reinstate the meadow, along with 20 metres of ancient Devon bank that was removed in December 2023.

Jo Rice, a case worker for Martin Wrigley, said the MP would be adding Harrington Homes to the list of developers they intend to ‘hold to account’.

Residents said they understand that houses need to be built and that they don’t oppose the development. However, they are worried about how long things are taking. ‘This is a 255-house development. They’ve been on site for over three years and have only built 27,’ pointed out local resident Bill Carpenter.