DEVELOPERS looking to build a further 200 homes on the northern edge of Dawlish say they are aiming to submit a planning application this autumn.

An exhibition was held by David Wilson Homes, part of Barratt, in the town last week to explain their ideas for the land near Dawlish Countryside Park.

The company states this would be a ‘high quality development that could bring forward up to 200 new homes, set within an extensive and robust network of multifunctional green spaces’.

News of the proposals prompted widespread criticism.

However, the company says it would be putting £1.7million to support local services and infrastructure through the development.

A spokesman for David Wilson said: ‘Our vision is to transform the site into a vibrant community with environmental sustainability at its heart.

‘We plan to deliver up to 200 high quality and sustainable new homes.

‘This is a viable scheme that we can deliver now.

‘Teignbridge faces an affordable housing crisis and we do not think that young families and first-time buyers should have to wait any longer than necessary to buy a modern and energy efficient new home, or to move away from the area they grew up in.

‘Our proposal of 30per cent affordable will make a significant contribution to delivering the affordable homes that the area needs.

‘Meanwhile our parallel contribution of £1.7 million towards supporting local services and infrastructure will ensure that we not only mitigate the impact of the development, but will provide genuine benefits to the community.

‘We thank residents for attending our drop-in event last week, and we are in the process of reviewing feedback that will help to shape the final design before submitting a planning application to Teignbridge District Council later this year.’

The spokesman said comments were ‘wide-ranging’ but welcomed the economic investment and jobs.

But Leader of Teignbridge Council and Dawlish town, district and county councillor Martin Wrigley said: ‘This initiative has caused some consternation in the town.

‘This piece of land is not in the old, or current, local plan nor the new, draft local plan.

‘It was put forward for consideration, but was not chosen to proceed into the new local plan. The land owner / developer has submitted an application for a scoping option to TDC.

‘This asks questions about what might be required, mostly in term of Environmental Impact Assessment, but is not a planning application.

‘If the developer were to put in for planning, as it is both adjacent to the Country Park and outside settlement limits and not in the plan, I do not see how it could possibly succeed.

‘It is another example of speculative development trying to push, and this is exactly why we have a Local Plan to protect our undeveloped areas.’

Historian David Force, who urged people to make their views known, visited the exhibition.

He said:‘If we ignore this, they will take it as general support for 200 houses with access off Exeter Road.

‘No thought of any supporting services or infrastructure, no thought of the overflowing sewers.’

He also has concerns over the effect on wildlife at the neighbouring Dawlish Countryside Park.

The plans for one to four bed properties have prompted anger among residents who say Dawlish is already overdeveloped and is ‘bursting at the seams’.

Campaigner Alice Bird, founder of the social media site, Dawlish Residents Against Over Development, described it as an exercise to ‘ram’ another 200 houses into an already over crowded town with over-strained resources’.