Peter Goldstraw, a Friend of Dartmouth Commun­ity Orchard, of Ridge Hill, Dartmouth, writes:

Dartmouth Town Council’s corporate property committee recently debated the proposal that the council should explore the possibility of building affordable or social housing in an area of Dartmouth Comm­un­ity Orchard.

The proposal was approved by four votes to three, the majority of the committee ignoring the impassioned plea of Cllr Iris Pritchard to respect the special nature of the orchard and Cllr Tony Fyson’s opinion on the near impossibility of retaining such accommodation for local people.

The orchard is indeed a special place, a historic reminder of a time when every village in Devon had an orchard at its heart, 90 per cent of which have been lost in the last 60 years, a haven of biodiversity for birds, bats, insects, and wild flowers, and an archive for many species of apple trees specific to south Devon.

However, the strongest argument against development lies is its name – Dartmouth Community Orchard.

This valuable community space is a resource for picnickers, dog walkers and children of all ages. It was previously listed as a ‘Natural Space’ in South Hams Council’s public strategy document.

We must all petition Cllr Fyson to have the Dartmouth Community Orchard protected from development by being designated as a ‘Local Green Space’ in the Neighbourhood Plan he is developing for Dartmouth, and on which we will all subsequently have a vote.