Update from a local correspondent.

Applications for 10 and 25 houses at Weeks Farm, Talaton went before the DMC on 1st April, supported by the Parish Council and Ward Councillor Martin Gammell in spite of strong local opposition. Residents were very pleased to see that Planning Officers had recommended refusal for both applications as being unsustainable for such a small village as Talaton and commended the Officers for the thoroughness of their report.

Speakers pointed to the pressure on existing services, with oversubscribed primary and secondary schools, poor transport provision and sewage systems near capacity. After some discussion, the Committee voted to refuse both applications. One of the Councillors commented that if they allowed these applications to go through it would set a precedent, giving a ‘green light’ for small villages to be swamped by developments that were not sustainable.