THE amount of development in and around Bovey Tracey was raised at this week’s full town council meeting.

Speaking during the public contributions section, resident Les Calder voiced concerns that the Teignbridge Local Plan identified parcels of land which would yield a possible 200 homes in the town.

He questioned whether that number was still necessary as central government was no longer enforcing tariffs.

Deputy mayor, Cllr Debbie Fletcher, who chaired the meeting, said the town council’s Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) – which was drafted in advance of the Local Plan and was intended to influence Teignbridge decisions – did not touch upon house numbers. However, the NDP was able to prioritise sites within the parish.

Cllr George Gribble said there was enough housing in the town, but what was lacking was infrastructure, with the town’s GP surgeries under strain and increasing pressure for a new primary school. Town clerk Mark Wells clarified the town council’s influence on the Teignbridge plan which stated no further development should come forward before these issues were addressed.

Cllr Bob Bradford explained the town council had made significant efforts to protect and insulate the parish against further development in drafting the NDP, but it was a sad fact that Teignbridge needed new homes and ‘every parish had to take a hit’.

Residents’ Association chairman Paul Beecher then asked if the council had been strenuous enough in its handling of the Lidl development in Monks Way. 

Once again he raised concerns about potential impacts on traders in Bovey Tracey and surrounding towns. Had enough research been carried out before  the decision to approve the store? Cllr Fletcher said appproving the application wasn’t the town coucnil’s role., that was a district matter. The town council had only made observations such as environmental concerns, which had been addressed.

Supporting Mr Beecher’s argument, Mr Calder said he knew of two shops which might close and traders were indeed getting worried.

Cllr Corin Burton said as a town trader himself he understood these concerns, but on the matter of planning issures, the council had no grounds to object to the Lidl application.