Kingsbridge Town Council have added seven conditions to their approval of the proposed Belle Hill development.

At the full council meeting on Tuesday, March 14, two members of the public spoke about their reservations over the site, stating that the residents of Manor Gardens had not been properly informed by the district council and that the site notices were hard to see.

Cllr Robin Griffin went through the minutes of the planning committee meeting from the week before, where the committee had given conditional approval to the proposed development of 96 homes to the west of Belle Hill by Westcountry Land.

The conditions of their approval were that the developer undertook an air, noise and pollution survey to access the impact of Church Street, that the council were to lease with the architects over landscaping, that money for Devon County Council’s recommended travel plan vouchers be diverted to other highway matters.

They also stated that the highways contribution of £65,000 be used to mitigate traffic impact on Church Street, to re-introduce a crossing patrol in Church Street and to extend the current town bus service for the development and that South West Water should be satisfied with foul water drainage plans before the site was developed.

On Tuesday, the council amended and added more conditions to its approval of the plans.

Cllr Jim Romanos proposed that a condition was added “recognising the failure to deliver affordable housing in Kingsbridge over the last ten years, and the local pressures arising from this, the registered providers of the any of the affordable dwellings at Belle Hill should prioritise up to 100 per cent local applicants as defined in South Hams Local Allocation Policy”, in an effort to make the houses, if permission is given, to stay for people of Kingsbridge.

Cllr Tom Coulthard proposed moving the 20mph speed limit sign further north on Belle Hill to add traffic calming coming into the top of the town.

Cllr Barrie Fishman asked for the extension of the current town bus service for the development to be removed as “there may not be a town bus service by then” and he didn’t want to be disingenuous.

Cllr Irene Jeeninga proposed that there be a condition that the bungalows on the top of the development, where it is most visible, be prevented from ever adding height and be kept as single storey dwellings to prevent impact on the skyline.

The conditions and conditional approval was passed nine to two, with Cllr Barrie Fishman voting against as he “cannot vote for a development that has less than 50 per cent affordable housing” as a personal line in the sand, and Cllr Chris Povey also voting against.

The Section 106 contributions from the developer included £65,000 earmarked for highways, £329,000 for education and £207,000 for sports pitches, being the contributions up to £601,000.

The proposed development at Belle Hill will now go to South Hams District Council for planning permission.