I share Nigel Duckworth’s concern about the decision to approve the development off School Road, Stoke Fleming.

The community has spent considerable time and effort producing a draft neighbourhood plan.

This runs to some 56 pages of well-presented arguments about where the village would be happy to see development, and which areas they would wish to be preserved, based on exhaustive consultation with the residents.

One is prompted to ask what is the point of local people spending considerable time and effort producing thoughtful and detailed policies, that are designed to inform their representatives what they want, only to see their views ignored.

On a further point. Much is made of “affordable housing”.

In this case, 30 per cent of the housing units now approved. “Affordable rent” is defined as 80 per cent of the local market rental value which, in an area like South Hams, is still not necessarily within the grasp of local residents.

Plus, of course, the number of “affordable” units is open to challenge by the developer, in due course, on the basis that it is no longer “economically viable” to provide them.

Sue Stevens

Lower Contour Road Kingswear