Plans for a new detached home in a scenic area of Wembury have been given the go ahead despite dozens of objections from local people.

The three-bedroom house is planned for the south of the village next to Hawthorne Park Road and Cliff Road and would include a parking area, trees and bushes.

Many nearby residents are concerned about issues such as privacy and the growing number of properties in Wembury.

But a majority of members on the South Hams development management committee felt it was a reasonable and environmentally friendly plan.

The new property is on three levels and includes solar panels on the roof.

It will be built on an empty field in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and, whilst on the border of land designated as Undeveloped Coast and Heritage Coast, it falls outside these areas. 

Arguments supporting the applicant, local resident Dan Stewart, include sustainability, good design, improvement of the existing site and its proximity to other homes.

Supporters say there is no impact on the local landscape and it will enhance the AONB.

But the application received 34 objections with concerns including; impact on heritage coast,

extension of urbanised part of village, traffic impacts, plot is very small, visual impact, drainage, undeveloped coast, views from coast path and sea, too big for site, negative impact on right to enjoy quiet enjoyment of area and own property, Wembury not identified as sustainable settlement, does not address imbalance in existing housing stock and access

Several councillors visited the proposed site before making their decision and mostly rejected criticism of the development. 

Cllr Richard Foss (Conservative, Allington and Strete) said: “We’re talking about a young family trying to build a house of their own.

“It fits a lot of our policies, even within the AONB plan. If I remember correctly, they accept that houses have to be built within it for the local community?

“This is a local family. Ticks a lot of the boxes for me.”

But Cllr Foss acknowledged that other local residents may be concerned.

“Yes, it is in a sensitive area. There’s a lot of areas like that in the South Hams.

“It’s on the edge of the village. It’s not as though it’s stuck in the middle of the field somewhere.”

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington and Staverton) agreed that the proposal should be allowed to go ahead and praised the commitment to sustainability. 

“I think it’s also really useful – and it’s obviously kind of an important element of this – to have a low carbon development that we’re seeing demonstrated because the more we see of these, the more likely we are to get more of them.

“And obviously, that’s a really important step forward in how development is delivered.”

The majority of members on the committee voted to approve the plans which were also subject to an agreement that the applicant makes a cash contribution to the Tamar Valley European Marine Site.