Plans to build eight open-market homes on farmland at North Filham have drawn objections over the impact on wildlife, the surrounding landscape and local infrastructure.

Ugborough Parish Council has objected to the outline planning application for land off Palace Lane, citing inadequate infrastructure and limited employment opportunities to support further development.

Neighbouring residents have also raised concerns about the effect on the countryside and local wildlife, including protected bat species.

One Filham resident said the development would damage the character of the area because of its proximity to Dartmoor National Park.

They said views from Dartmoor, particularly Western Beacon, would be significantly affected, and raised concerns about bats using Palace Lane and the proposed site as a feeding area.

They said they feared the development could prevent the protected species from continuing to use the area, despite any mitigation measures.

Another objector criticised the loss of greenfield land and questioned the need for the development.

They said the scheme was not for affordable housing and would not help people struggling to find a home they could afford.

They also argued that the proposal was not part of the Ivybridge development plan and questioned whether further housing was needed in the parish following the recent development of 200 homes by Bloor Homes.

The application, reference 2716/26/OPA, has been submitted by Bishopstone Homes Limited to South Hams District Council.

The site covers about half a hectare of agricultural land on the eastern side of Palace Lane, immediately south-east of Ivybridge. The outline proposal is for eight open-market dwellings, with access shown from Palace Lane and other details reserved for a later stage.

In its planning statement, the applicant argues the site is well related to the existing built-up area of Filham and Ivybridge and would help meet housing need.

It says the authorities covering Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon could demonstrate only 2.33 years of deliverable housing land supply in their October 2025 position statement.

The applicant argues that the benefits of providing eight additional homes would outweigh the potential harm to the countryside, which it says could be mitigated through landscaping and biodiversity measures.

The plans include retaining boundary hedgerows, providing an area for biodiversity enhancement and securing additional biodiversity units off-site if the required net gain cannot be achieved entirely within the site.

The applicant also says surface water could be managed on site, while confirmation of foul drainage capacity has been requested from South West Water.

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The application is an outline proposal, meaning further details of the development would be considered at a later stage if permission is granted.