TAVISTOCK planners have given the thumbs down to a scheme to build homes on the site of the former Mount Kelly prep school.

While members of the town council’s development management and licensing committee supported one part of the scheme — to refurbish Grade II-listed Hazeldon House — they objected to moves to demolish two former pre-fabricated classrooms and a tennis court and build ten homes for the open market.

Committee members, whose split-decision comments will go before planning authority West Devon Borough Council at a future date, said the homes would be built in the countryside with no agricultural purpose.

They also pointed out the scheme would go against the area’s joint local plan, a document which determines what gets built where in the Tavistock area.

Committee members said: ‘The site is a distance of approxmately 2km from the nearest shop/school, so beyond the accepted 800m distance to make it sustainable.

‘Therefore, the site is not considered sustainable as private vehicles will need to be used, and the footpath into town has pinch-points, which would make it dangerous for pedestrians.’

The plan, submitted by Mount Kelly Foundation Governors, says the plan would involve the refurbishment of Hazeldon House to form a single dwelling and would include the demolition of non-listed structures.

It adds the scheme would mean the demolition of all other structures, including former classroom blocks and a ‘pavilion-style building’, on the site, the erection of 10 open market dwellings, reinstatement of original site access, restoration of parkland, associated infrastructure, including drainage and retaining structures, landscaping, open space, play space, removal of some trees, parking and boundary treatments.

Consultants Cotswold Heritage, in a statement issued to West Devon Borough Council, which is responsible for deciding if the scheme should be given permission to go ahead, said the scheme would ‘result in an enhancement to the listed building, leading to clear heritage benefits that can be weighed in the planning balance for the overall scheme.’

Town councillors were behind a more substantial version of the application when it was put forward in 2018.

Then, the proposal was for 81 homes on the site, scaled down from 125 following following the listing of Hazeldon House as being of special architectural interest. Tavistock’s development management and licensing committee was asked to comment o a scheme comprising homes of a mixture of market value, social rental and intermediate properties. Hazeldon House would have been preserved as a single dwelling and the entire site would be re-designed to enhance the view of the house in its elevated position.