Villagers' row with landowner

RESIDENTS of a South Devon village have locked horns with a landowner in a dispute over a play area and car parking.

People living in Moorland Avenue, Denbury, are outraged a developer has started to fence off land that has previously been used for parking vehicles and children playing.

But developer Chris Perrin says he is 're-establishing' his right over his land and he is the victim of an 'orchestrated' campaign by a minority of disgruntled residents.

Things have become so heated a meeting has been called for next Thursday to thrash matters out.

The dispute focuses on land at Moorland Avenue and Fairview Road, two cul-de-sac roads originally built for use by the prison service.

The houses are now privately owned but the roads, parking areas and grassed and planted areas remained in the ownership of the prison service.

They were recently sold to Mr Perrin, of Chudleigh-based Perrin Construction.

In August he lodged a planning application with Teignbridge Council to demolish a block of eight existing garages on the site and build 11 homes there.

Nine letters of objection, plus a recommendation of refusal from the parish council led to the application being refused last month on grounds of overdevelopment and 'unsympathetic' design. Mr Perrin said he is appealing against that decision.

The row erupted after Mr Perrin started fencing off his land. Locals said they have parked there for a number of years and children have played in the grassy area.

Resident Shirley Atkinson said: "Mr Perrin has put 7ft posts up around the area he wants to develop and says he intends to fence it off.

"It means the play area won't be used, something my son and daughter have both enjoyed along with other children here for many years.

"Parking will be in marked bays and by permit only and there will be no parking at all on the roads. It is his land so, yes he can do that but he is making it very uncomfortable and miserable for those that use it."

Her neighbour Oona Wagstaff said: "Unfortunately the roads are unadopted by the county council but any proposals to limit access will make life difficult. We have been using these roads for a long time."

Mr Perrin said: "I am more than happy to meet with residents and I have been doing that for some time now. Not everyone is against it. For some reason this residents association has not wanted to convene a meeting and I feel like my hand has been forced.

"The garage area has been cordoned off because they are being defaced and I do not want to turn it into a free-for-all. I have got to re-establish what is rightfully mine."

Mr Perrin will meet with locals in the village hall at 7.30pm.

A Teignbridge Council spokesman said: "We will fully investigate any complaints made about unlawful developments on this site, as permission has been refused. However, some work, including the removal of existing structures, would not require planning permission and could be completed lawfully providing the people doing the work are allowed to do so by the landowner."