A public consultation will be held next year to gather the community’s view over proposals to build hundreds of homes on land at Littleham.

Littleham’s residents are to be asked for their ideas and opinions over a proposal to build hundreds of homes on their doorstep.

Land at Littleham Valley, owned by Clinton Devon Estates, has been identified as a site suitable to build 500 homes as part of the government’s Local Development Framework.

Last week, estate manager, John Varley, said Littleham’s residents would be invited to air their views at a public consultation due to take place in mid-2012.

Speaking at last week’s Littleham Residents’ Association AGM, Mr Varley said the estate hoped to extend the land proposed for development and gain planning permission for 350 homes on the site.

He said cash raised from the development of land adjoining Goodmores Farm could be used to spruce up and improve other areas of Littleham, including the Pankhurst industrial estate ‘eyesore’.

Mr Varley said CDE land adjoining the site could be included in the development if the proposal was successful - allowing greater public amenity facilities.

He said: “We have a stake in the community. We are not the sort of organisation that puts concrete down and takes off.

“Whatever happens, we will wish to engage with people in a full consultation.

“At the end of the day, what we want is people’s thoughts and ideas.

“We want to make sure we do things in the right place for the right reason.

“We want people to look back in 35 years and say ‘it’s good’.”

“The new area is quite tight and includes Donkey Hill. I don’t think anyone wants anything built on Donkey Hill, it’s quite iconic landscape.

“We feel, by extending it by a couple of fields, we can preserve Donkey Hill.”

Leigh Rix, head of property and land at CDE, said: “It would be a much better, lower density development.

“As part of this, there would be a consultation exercise to see how this could be brought together.”

Mr Varley said the aim was to build a community, rather than rows of houses. He said homes would be offered first to the parish, then Exmouth and finally other areas.

Mr Varley said Exmouth Town Council was keen to support the building of 190 homes on the site identified in the LDF.

He said CDE would be ‘pushing’ for 350 homes.

The estate manager said increasing the number by an extra 160 would provide a greater opportunity of affordable homes for rent and sale.

Some homes would be ‘higher value’ allowing extra funds to be available improving Littleham.

Building 190 homes would result in 42 dwellings per hectare, while extending the land for 350 homes would have 31 dwellings per hectare, he said.

He assured land currently farmed around the proposed site would be retained for future generations.

? View the proposal at www.clintondevon.com and click on LDF submission, Littleham, Exmouth.