Tenant farm housing plans opposed in Devon

Council-owned tenant farm, Markhams Farm, in Ide, has been earmarked for housing

Hundreds of people have opposed plans to turn council-owned grade one agricultural land into housing.

Land at Markhams Farm, in Ide, has been used as a tenant farm but it has now been earmarked for housing on the Teignbridge local plan.

Devon County Council, which has 65 farms on its estate, said there was a housing crisis and a need to provide affordable housing.

However, campaigners said such sites should be preserved.

Alison Foden said the council should be looking at brownfield sites instead

Councillor Alison Foden addressed Devon County Council asking them to look elsewhere for land.

"I really do encourage Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council to look for brownfield sites," she said.

The tenant farms, also known as 'county farms', are rented by councils to new farmers as an opportunity to start out in the industry.

The decision on whether to sell the land for housing remains with the county council.

Manor Farm in Dawlish is also being considered under the local plan for housing

Councillor Martin Wrigley, told the BBC that the county farms should be kept.

"[They] should be maintained and should be kept open and what Devon are putting forward is grade one agricultural land for some 750 odd houses on Markham's farm and that's just wrong."

County council leader John Hart said Devon had a housing crisis and there was a "real need to provide affordable homes".

He said Teignbridge District Council had a housing quota and it was up to the authority to decide which sites were suitable, adding that for Devon to maintain its 10,000 acres of farm estates, it does sometimes sell sites as well as investing in them.

Manor Farm in Dawlish has also been put forward under the local plan for housing.