Good letter in Friday’s Teignmouth Post from David Boxall, pointing out that the higher number of houses (passed  by the chairman Chris Clarance’s casting vote), means the council is being forced to approve any application for housing development in line with policies in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), rather than with local views, because the council can’t show a five year land supply.

Increasingly making the Planning Committee powerless to prevent damaging development even in the most sensitive countryside locations.

The NPPF is being used by developers to get planning permission for unnecessary green field developments in the face of opposition from local communities. Brownfield sites are being overlooked in favour of building on green fields that are easier for developers. At the same time, developers are providing less and less affordable housing to meet the needs of local families.