PLANS for the future growth of Teignmouth and Shaldon for the next 15 years are going under the microscope.

Business leaders, traders and community groups are taking part in brain-storming sessions to thrash out ideas where the area can expand to provide new homes and employment land.

Workshops are being held where a range of invited groups can put forward their views on potential expansion in advance of putting together what Teignbridge Council describes as a 'preferred options' plan in autumn this year.

These are the early stages of creating a draft plan to be submitted to the government next year before an examination and public hearing before the new plan is formally adopted.

But the initiative has met with an angry response from businessman Chris Doel.

He says he was 'truly horrified' to learn of the development proposals which he believes have been drawn up without public consultation.

Mr Doel, who was born and bred in Teignmouth, was shocked to learn that the extent of the plans had not been released to the wider public for an 'honest and open debate on their implications'.

And he complained: 'This is going to change the face of our town.

'Not only will the place become an urban jungle but given the lack of infrastructure to cope with developments to date, problems in the town are only going to get worse.

'We need a fair, honest and open debate of all the facts not just the rubber-stamping of plans which the council has had in train for some time, by a selected group of invitees.'

But district and town councillor Terry Falcao said the plans were at their earliest stages and would go out to wider consultation.

The workshops are just part of the process to create a long term plan for development of Teignmouth and Teignbridge Coucil says it is working closely with communities to shape ideas and proposals before it proceeds with the 'preferred options' stage.

It says the workshops are taking place to give service providers, agencies, community groups and interested parties the chance to help prepare the draft 'vision' for the town, identify priorities to be addressed and consider options for growth areas.

A spokesman said figures showed that 780 people want to move into Teignmouth every three years, a net figure allowing for people moving out of the resort.

They mean that one of the major issues facing Teignmouth in the future is finding areas suitable for housing.

He said: 'Teignmouth has limited areas available for development. These workshops look at strategic planning for Teignmouth over a range of different aspects such as housing and facilities and how the town is going to grow in the future.

'Invited representatives were tasked to look at where they would like growth to take place.

'If we had to build homes, where would they be?'

About 60 people from business and community groups were invited to the workshop to look at a range of issues.

Cllr Falcao added: 'It is an important process to talk to various members of the community to come up with some form of joined up thinking.

'They are merely ideas at this stage that have arisen from a wide section of people.'