GEOFF?PIKE, of Longford Lane, Kingsteignton, writes: On Tuesday, October 21, my wife and I spent an interesting morning at the Teignbridge Council offices listening to the debate regarding, among other subjects, the proposed further development of the fields adjoining the Teignmouth Road access to Kingsteignton, at Penns Mount. It was obvious that the 'top table' of council chairman and planners etc were at some odds with the sentiments of the Kingsteignton councillors.

Complaints that this new estate would be an eyesore on the approach to the town were met with 'You've already got building visible on the hills further over'.

Concerns about adding to the already bad traffic problems on Vicarage Hill and Greenhill Way were rebuffed with 'Devon Highways have no objection'. Comments on the lack of planning cooperation between developers regarding road access across the site were countered with statements that 'developers have no requirement to collaborate as long as they adhere to their own plan', which apparently they aren't doing anyway – hilltop green spaces having been moved or disappeared from the original plan, and a road put through the middle. As it happens, the proposal was refused, thanks to Kingsteignton's councillors, although I'm sure that won't be the end of it. The main concern of the planners seemed to be that unless they could find a hard and fast reason to object to further development, Teignbridge would be liable for costs should a subsequent legal appeal succeed, which seems a crazy way to protect our green spaces. The government has decided that Teignbridge can take 12,500 new homes over the next 20 years, and this plan looms over every debate – the attitude seems to be 'why bother objecting, why bother planning, you are going to have them anyway?' I recently heard a councillor (on Radio Devon) rebuff an objection to some scheme or other by saying 'your house was built on a green field!' An argument for concreting over the whole of Devon!

I have spoken to a lot of local people and there is real concern that development of sites such as this is going to further choke our roads and place greater demands on services already stretched by cutbacks and financial constraints. Pinning hopes on infrastructure following development is vague and unsatisfactory. Developments along the A383 Ashburton Road are being fed into the existing system via a new roundabout. Result: more delays. It doesn't seem possible to build a cycle route to Teignmouth at all. True, the new Torquay Road is progressing, although the single lane flyover each way over Penn Inn will cause problems. I don't know how many new houses we need, it's true, although there are always plenty of them for sale, but I fear the consequences of over-building without adequate new roads, medical services, schools and so on.

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