Justin Haque and Dr Katy Bowen, of Start, write:

When will South Hams Council finally stand up and say ‘no’ to the ongoing suburbanisation of the South Hams.

The joint local plan has seen many villages expand by over 35 per cent, but it is particularly upsetting to see applications for non-designated sites, such

as phase two of Mill Lane, Frogmore, for a further 46 dwellings within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ref 1768/16/POA).

The application typically uses the provision of affordable housing, with some lip service to amenities. However, the existing development thus far has completely ignored those terms and has contributed enormously to the continual urbanisation along the A379.

Furthermore, the traffic impact, combined with the actual and probable development in Chillington, will soon make this main arterial road completely gridlocked throughout the year. Last month’s flash flood witnessed emergency vehicles unable to reach Stokenham from Frogmore.

The essence of the plan is to get community approval for new developments within designated areas; it is not designed for the council to simply approve farmers who turn to property development because they find it more profitable than farming.