Detailed plans for hundreds of new homes in Exmouth have been formally opposed by Exmouth Town Council.

The development of 350 homes at Plumb Park, around Donkey Hill at the end of Buckingham Close, received outline planning permission in 2013.

Developer Littleham 2010 and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey have now applied for full permission for 264 of these homes, alongside outline permission for the remaining 86.

The council’s planning committee had been due to give its thoughts on the application last month, but adjourned to have more time to consider the plans.

At this week’s meeting, councillors voted to oppose, citing concerns, including a lack of ‘pepper-potting’ – where ‘affordable’ homes should be spread among open-market properties, rather than grouped in one area.

Councillors also cited concerns raised by an East Devon District Council (EDDC) environmental health officer about Buckingham Close not being suitable for construction traffic, and said they would like to see an updated traffic plan for the new homes, with concern raised about the number of cars which would pass through nearby Littleham Cross.

Councillor Bill Nash said: “One of the major concerns with this development is the amount of extra traffic going through Littleham Cross.

“Unfortunately, Devon County Council said it didn’t think this was a problem [when outline permission was granted].

“It may not have been a problem then, but since then an extra 50 homes have been given permission at Pankhurst Close, all leading out from the same road and going through Littleham Cross, plus there has been a tremendous increase in traffic for Sandy Bay, as they have now more residential vans there.

“So we’ve got a congestion problem, a traffic problem, with a possible danger problem, remembering there is a school nearby with pedestrian as well as car traffic.

“On the houses themselves, they have got pepper-potting wrong.

“Pepper-potting is where you’ve got affordable houses and the idea now is you don’t lump them all at one end, you sprinkle them around the whole estate, and their pepper-potting is not to the standard normally required by East Devon.”

EDDC will make the final decision regarding planning permission.