Topsham residents fight two-year housing plan

Hundreds turn out

More than 250 people have turned out to protest against a proposed  housing development at Topsham.

Placard-waving objectors registered their opposition to the plans for Mays Field, which they say is one of the last remaining green spaces in the town. And, they say, the demo was just the start of a campaign of action that will continue until the developer withdraws plans to build 76 properties there.

Local firm Salter Property has consulted local people on the plans and intends to submit a formal planning application soon. The company says its homes will ‘celebrate the rich history of Topsham while delivering much-needed, sustainable new housing’. And, it says, the development will have a ‘green and open’ character.

The firm has spent two years developing the plans, and displayed them during a public exhibition in Topsham in December. It says 35 per cent of the homes will be affordable for people with a local connection.

The company has been involved in recent housing projects at Lympstone and Woodbury. It says the Mays Field project includes providing public access to woodland areas and community spaces

The protesters gathered at the entrance to the proposed development on Monmouth Street, close to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserve on Bowling Green Road.

The event was co-ordinated by the Mays Action Group, which is fighting Lympstone-based Salter Property’s plans to build on the nine-acre plot which is inside the Topsham Conservation Area.

Group spokesperson James Hancock said: “Building on Mays Field would have a horrendous impact on a beautiful  green space and an adverse impact on the nearby bird reserve which is internationally renowned.

“The development would create a significant risk of harm for cyclists and walkers due to the narrow  access to the proposed site. Thousands of visitors access this part of Topsham each year and are key  contributors to the local economy. The area is widely revered as one of Devon’s most diverse and  valuable assets, one that makes the nearby City of Exeter so special.” 

The demonstration followed concerns from the RSPB about housing less than 100 metres from its reserve.

Mr Hancock added: “For the health and wellbeing of nature, wildlife, the environment and for all  those who cherish this special place, we demand Salter Property abandon its unwanted and  harmful proposed development of Mays Field so that this precious, unspoiled resource can be preserved for generations to come.”