Community loses 'green lung' to new houses

The Crownhill Local Area Residents Association has not ruled out taking legal action

Members of a Devon community say they are "highly disappointed" after planning permission was granted to build five houses, despite more than 50 objections.

Plymouth City Council has approved an application for properties to be built on a site at Wilmot Gardens, Crownhill, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Those who objected said they feared losing "the green lung" in a densely populated area of the city as well as five mature oak and ash trees.

But chairman of the planning committee councillor Bill Stevens said: "We have to balance it up against the need for housing in the middle of a very real housing crisis."

Ash dieback

He added: "There are people waiting for housing and I am expecting an awful lot of sites to come forward for development which will be tricky and will cause controversy."

The Crownhill Local Area Residents Association had been fighting plans to build on the land for three years.

Secretary Matt Fleming said he could not rule out the organisation taking legal action against the council.

A decision on the application was deferred in August after councillors called for a tree survey and the community’s use of the site assessed.

An arborist's report concluded that ash dieback was well established in one of the trees and two others were showing symptoms of infection.

A replanting scheme has been proposed with 12 trees on site and 17 elsewhere at approved locations.

The proposal was agreed with 10 votes in favour and two abstentions.