PROPOSALS to build seven homes on land off a busy road in Ivybridge has been recommended for refusal by the town council.

An application for four houses and three flats has been proposed for the land adjacent to Greenwood, off Western Road and Wayside.

But the council's planning committee said it would be an overdevelopment that would impact traffic and neighbouring residents negatively.

In the planning statement, the applicant Kevin Higgins said the proposal is 'for a small housing development of seven dwellings, comprising one detached dwelling, a terrace of three houses and a small block of three flats'. It adds that access to the site will be at the eastern end of Wayside.

Cllr Tom Bowden, chairing the meeting on Monday, expressed ­concerns about the traffic levels in Wayside, saying: 'There would need to be double yellow lines down one side of Wayside or the road would need to be widened. My other ­concern with Wayside is at the traffic lights – if you go to turn left onto Western Road there's only space for one vehicle between the "keep clear" markings at the traffic lights.

'That means any traffic going onto Western Road would be backing up through Wayside, which would be an inconvenience to residents trying to get out of their driveways.'

Cllr Ben Butcher said: 'I don't in essence disagree with this development, but I'd suggest something less – it looks a bit desperate in its size. Why seven? Why not four or three? It would be more sensible to do a nice development that's going to look modern and make use of the area and not try to cram so much in.'

Cllr Elizabeth Silsbury said: 'I'm worried about the height of it and whether it will overpower the grade two-listed building adjacent. I think it's an overdevelopment of the site.'

Cllr Bowden declared: 'The general feeling of this committee is that we object on the grounds of overdevelopment and concern about access issues and the height of the building.'

Local residents have also objected on the South Hams planning website.

Heather Howlett said: 'As a resident of Wayside since 1953, I feel the planning application for Greenwood is going to have a huge and negative impact on the residents of Wayside.

'The road is already congested with residents' cars and to exit Wayside and enter the junction in St Johns Road is already problematic.

'This is made worse at rush hour and school drop-off and collection time. I feel that adding more traffic coming out from the proposed site would make this problem far worse.'

Alison Ayson, who lives behind the site, said: 'At present our garden is not overlooked and is very private.

'I am concerned that the buildings proposed will adversely affect our outlook and invade our privacy. I am also concerned about access to the development. Wayside has limited parking and gets congested.

'I think that the junction at the end of Wayside where it joins St Johns Road at the traffic lights will be unable to cope with the volume of extra cars that a development of this size will produce. The traffic lights get very busy in St Johns Road, especially when the school run is taking place.

'Sometimes the traffic is already backed up to the entrance to Manor Drive. This would mean that residents in Wayside and the proposed development would not be able to join the queue for the traffic lights.

'I don't feel that the roads could take the extra volume of traffic.'

Members of the public have until Friday, March 13, to submit ­comments about the application to South Hams Council.

To view the full application, or to submit a comment, visit http://www.south">www.south hams.gov.uk and type in planning application reference 27/0280/15/F; or write to South Hams District Council, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NE.