The South Hams Development Management Committee will this morning consider proposals for a major housing development in Woolwell.

Developers Rockspring Barwood Plymouth want the green light for 2,000 homes (one application for 1640 and one of 360) on land off Pick Pie Drive which has already been earmarked for housing in the local plan.

It was delayed from December as members wanted to look at the 12.5 per cent level set for affordable housing and the access to the development through Pick Pie Drive.

Woolwell Cllr Nicky Hopwood has been refused permission to speak so contacted all the committee members with her concerns:

“The first issue is construction vehicles using the main Woolwell Road to enter the new primary school site.

The only reason this is being muted is because Devon County Council want the school built at 300. “Cars park along Woolwell Road all day every day excluding Saturdays and Sundays when the nurseries and primary school are closed.

“During school holiday times the nurseries are still open and therefore there are vehicles parked along that road all year.

“I still maintain that Pick Pie Drive should not be used as a vehicle access in and out of the development ever and should be a bus gate allowing buses, emergency vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians to use this access safely.”

Cllr Hopwood continued: “The developer says that to put a road in through the Northern entrance would cost £7.1 million.

“In the Section 106 there is an allocation of £6.1 million to Plymouth City Council for the road works along the A386 which started in September 2024.

“Surely Plymouth should not have started a scheme with reliance on receiving this money so my proposal is to unallocate the £6.1 million to Plymouth and use it to build the new road into the school which will have to be built eventually.

“Although this leaves a shortfall of £1 million this could be negotiated with the developer as they will be getting their road built with almost free money that they weren’t expecting.”

Councillor Hopwood’s second issue was about affordable housing:

“Although the smaller application, application B has 30 per cent affordable housing the main application A only has 8.7 per cent.

“DEV 7 clearly states our affordable housing targets and as an authority with a declared affordable housing crisis we need to get nearer to the 30 per cent affordable housing target than 8 per cent. “We need to stand up for what we believe is right and for what our policy says and this clearly goes against a planning policy that we as councillors were proud to include in the Joint Local Plan, lets not water it down to 8 pre cent and stick to what is right.

“To conclude, 1700 objection letters, detrimental impact to residents living in Woolwell, affordable housing figures too low, refuse the application as it goes against policies DEV 7 and DEV9.”

Cllr Hopwood is encouraging Woolwell residents to come down to Follaton House in Totnes for the meeting which starts at 9.30am.