Roger Wynne, of Vavasours Slip, Dartmouth, writes:

I note from the Chronicle that the proposed redevelopment of the old ambulance station in North Embankment, Dartmouth, is to be resubmitted to the planning authority by the Architects AR Design Studio, Winchester – not a local company, note – on behalf of the current owner.

I quote from the Chronicle comments from AR Design: 'Changes had involved drawing up a more contemporary design for the six flats' and added 'it is quite a new exciting design. Quite striking really.'

Such a description may cause many lovers of Dartmouth significant concerns and neither does the wording fill you with much confidence.

I also note that the developer has been involved in talks with the district planning officiers 'for some time'.

The last planning application for six flats had raised considerable concerns in the locality, namely of over-development; lack of adequate car parking; loss to the locality and residents of a pleasent vista through Coronation Park and up river; together with concerns of road safety; access to parking; collection of rubbish and general deliveries on a tight blind corner on an A-class road which all locals know is regularly taken at speed. Speed tests taken at this time of year will not be a reliable indicator for the high season.

However despite refusal of that application by the district council, the applicant chose to appeal and the Government inspector chose to agree the proposal.

The four flats from the 1980s referred to by the Chronicle would have been an extra bay to Vavasour House, complete with the necessary parking and amenities.

However, with the financial climate going into recession the building never started and now we are faced with the whole application procedure again with a proposal for a 'landmark complex'.

This type of description always makes me shudder as it is generally used to describe a building greatly out of character with it's surroundings – and in such a historic town in a prime location on a major entry point into Dartmouth.

It will be viewed 'as one' with the Ship in Dock and Ridge Hill – all of which are listed.

Anyone examining the site will quickly be asking the question of how can they build six flats with the associated car parking on such a small area.

Well the answer is to build high and to the limits of the land ownership, as Vavasour House, the Ship in Dock and various residences found out with the previous application - which earlier had even provided a roof garden!

With the building right on the limits of the site, the elevation facing Clarence Street only had windows for the stairwell and so, from the rear of Vavasour House to the road edge by the Ship in Dock, the south elevation would be windowless – just a three- or four- storey plain wall – and what a 'landmark' elevation!

It would have been, and may still be in the new proposal, like a prison wall or castle rampart for the locality.

However, we do have to accept that the planning approval of two years ago does set certain criteria of acceptability for the development but the new proposals do not have to follow. If four flats with attendant parking was proposed, for example, many major concerns would be satisfied and indeed welcomed by the locality.

I am sure that the previous application with its stainless steel balconies, large areas of glass and masses of 'untreated western red cedar boarding to reflect the nautical atmosphere of the locality' would have been sold to the second home market and with large areas of curtaining or blinds closed for the majority of the year and the, by now, grey cedar boarding making the building thoroughly drab and depressing and no longer a 'landmark complex'.

I urge our town and district councilllors to look at the proposals with objectivity of its impact on the locality and, with constructive comments, try to direct the owner and the architect to a visually acceptable proposal for this important location.

I agree that almost any form of redevelopment would be an improvement on the site as at present but please be open-minded and objective in your assessment of the impact on the whole of the locality.