TOWN councillors have supported an application for almost 150 houses in the north of Tavistock.

The reserved matters application by Cavanna Homes (South West) Ltd for 148 dwellings, including affordable housing, areas of open space and landscaping on land adjacent to New Launceston Road, was recently given the thumbs up by Tavistock Town Council’s members of the development management and licensing committee.

Tavistock mayor Cllr Paul Ward, former chairman of the committee, said that members felt there was nothing to oppose with the reserved matters application.

‘We looked at the layout of the site and the design of the houses and we felt there was nothing that we opposed — it already had outline planning consent.’

The agent for the applicant stated that the reserved matters application — subject to planning — was developed in response to the review of key policy requirements, the aspirations of the community and site specific opportunities identified by the agent.

‘The fundamental objectives set out were to respect the rural character of the site’s context, to protect and enhance the natural features and habitats within the site and to offer high-quality characterful development.

‘As part of the outline application submission, Cavanna Homes undertook extensive community consultation — as with the outline application, Cavanna Homes would now like the views of the local community on their approach to these detailed matters.’

The reserved matters submission comprises 148 dwellings in a range of house sizes, styles and tenures on the application site, areas of public open space and landscape and green infrastructure corridors. There are 111 homes for the open market — eleven are two-bedroom properties; 49, three-bedroom; 47, four-bedroom; four, five-bedroom homes. Of the 37 affordable housing properties — ten, one-bedroom homes; 18, two-bedroom; nine, three-bedroom homes.

The number of affordable homes equates to 25% of the total number of dwellings proposed, which is in accordance with the Section 16 Agreement.

Part of the original proposals was to provide a new footway along New Launceston Road to connect the development with the existing pedestrian network offering a safe route into Tavistock town.

Tavistock Town Council is a statutory consultee and is permitted to give views on all of the town’s planning applications submitted to the borough council. The final decision lies with West Devon Borough Council — the target determination date is July 31, 2018.