RESIDENTS are invited to a public exhibition on Saturday, February 25, on a proposal to build affordable homes at the site known as ’Grandads’ at The Mounts.

The exhibition is to be held at East Allington Village Hall from 9.30am. People involved in the application will be on hand to answer queries.

Landowner John Trant said he’s keen for the build to be a community driven project and ideas are sought from residents in the area as to what they would like on the site, which is located on the main Kingsbridge to Totnes Road.

The entire site could provide up to 40 houses, subject to planning, but there is flexibility in the proposals to reduce the number of units to 10 or 20.

A ‘considerable percentage’ would be affordable but there is scope for self-build plots and private housing that would be in the price range of first-time buyers.

These would be two or three bed houses, the most expensive hopefully not exceeding £200,000.

A pre-application enquiry has been made with South Hams District Council, a procedure which is in its initial stages.

Exhibition organiser Sam Balsdon said: ‘Mr Trant is very keen that first time buyers are able to avail themselves of the opportunity to get on the housing ladder in the form of affordable housing or private housing at affordable prices.

‘The “help to buy” government initiative would mean that the most expensive house at £200,000 could be bought with a five per cent (£10,000) deposit.

‘South Devon Rural Housing Association is interested in this site and are advising on planning matters.

‘This is a localised initiative in response to the dreadful housing situation, which makes it so difficult for people to buy their own house in the South Hams.

‘The area of South Hams has the second worst wages to house price ratio in the country.’

Sam said the site’s architect Stephen Guard lives in East Allington, the Housing Association is Totnes-based and no ‘big developers’ are involved.

He added: ‘Other possible initiatives could see that the private houses must be the primary home of local people and could not be bought for second homes, a scheme similar to that in St Ives which the appeal court recently ruled was perfectly legitimate.

‘All this of course is subject to planning and to that end the public consultation is of great importance.

‘The planners place considerable weight on the views of local people and if there is support for this development on redundant brown field land then they are more likely to give consent.’

A recent government white paper on housing re-emphasised the need for more homes to be built on brown field land.