Developers accused of carrying on work at Devon site despite legal warning

  • Watch Sam Blackledge's report.

A developer allegedly continued work on a site in South Devon, despite the council issuing a legal warning for the firm to stop immediately.

Tensions between Blakesley Estates and residents in Kingsbridge are on the rise due to a plot of land which is due to be turned into houses.

Although South Hams District Council approved planning permission for Locks Hill to be filled with 32 homes in June this year, the developer had not filled in the required paperwork when they started work on the site.

This led to the council issuing a 'stop notice', which requires all work to be put on hold immediately.

But local residents allege the developer's diggers simply carried on.

One of the co-ordinators of the Save Locks Hill campaign, Dan Stathers, said: "The stop notice went on and we thought, 'we've been heard, this has to stop and now the proper process can happen'.

"And then the weekend after, they were back in, digging. And it went on, then it stopped, then it started again.

"And people have seen it, it's played out in front of the housing estate... the bungalows, everyone's been watching it."

Dan Stathers is campaigning for any developer of the Locks Hill site to follow all the rules.

The Save Locks Hill campaign was set up by residents who hoped to safeguard the site and had concerns about some of the safety aspects of any development. Both the campaign and the council were waiting to see a construction management plan which would address this when work began.

This led to the council issuing a stop notice.

Now Blakesley Estates are in a legal wrangle with the council, which insists proper regulation must be followed.

Cllr Julian Brazil said: "Some of the pre-commencement conditions included a construction management plan, a landscape and environmental management plan. And it was felt these hadn't been complied with.

"The condition was that you couldn't start work on the site until that has been signed off.

"It hasn't been signed off and work has started. There's no doubt there will be arguments on both sides about that."

A spokesperson for Blakesley Estates said: "The matter is in the hands of Blakesley's legal team as the temporary stop order has been incorrectly issued.

"No further comment will be made at this time."