Award-winning local housebuilder, Baker Estates, has submitted plans to West Devon Borough Council (WDBC) for 45 new homes and an extra care facility on land adjacent to Plymouth Road in Tavistock. This comes after an extended period of community consultation over the summer, when local residents were invited to comment on the proposals. Most of the new homes would be bungalows, which are much in demand locally; land would be set aside for the extra care facility which would come forward at a later stage.
With the site already allocated for new homes and employment use in the adopted Joint Local Plan, detailed consent is being sought for the new homes, which would mean that work could start straightway, should permission be granted. Outline consent only is being sought for the extra care facility, an identified priority for Tavistock in the Joint Local Plan. Demand continues to grow for Extra Care, generating significant employment while also delivering wider social and economic investment benefits for the local community.
Of the 45 homes, more than half would be bungalows for which Baker Estates, based in Newton Abbott, has acquired a growing reputation and is now a leading provider. Local estate agents are currently unable to meet demand for this type of home.
A large area of public open space is proposed to the north of the low-density development, adjacent to the Tiddy Brook. Pedestrian and cycle access would be provided through to the neighbouring retail facilities and vehicular access would be onto Plymouth Road.
Should the plans be approved, the developer would also seek to secure the closure to all vehicles (save for access) of the narrow lane to the south of the site, enhancing this route which is popular with walkers and cyclists.
Mark Edwards, Head of Development, said: “This is a scheme that responds directly to local need: the site is allocated for new homes and employment use and that is exactly what we are seeking to provide. But more than that, we’re building the type of homes that people have told us they want to live in – bungalows – and helping to deliver employment in a sector that is a priority need for the local area.”