Lympstone residents packed out the village hall to voice their objections to the proposed Courtlands Cross development.

Around 130 people were in attendance at the village meeting, called by the parish council to discuss the plan to build 154 homes north west of Courtlands Cross.

The proposal also includes business units, a doctor’s surgery, a shop/caf�, a creche/nursery and community facilities, as well as a plan to close off the west end of Courtlands Lane and build a new road junction on to the A376.

Parish councillor, Rob Longhurst, told the meeting that the new application was not fundamentally different to the original plan, submitted last year, and, therefore, the council’s previous objections still applied.

He said: “The message has to go back to these developers- that land is meant to be green and we are going to keep it that way.”

Woodbury and Lympstone ward district councillor David Atkins said he had already met with council planning officers and been encouraged by their response.

He said: “The officers have agreed that their arguments for refusing the last application stay the same.

“They support the Green Wedge totally and, on that basis, we stand a pretty good chance of knocking the development out.”

Exmouth town councillor for Halsdon, Tim Dumper, was also in attendance at the meeting, and said residents in his ward were also against the plans.

He said: “I have been doing some house to house canvassing in my ward and I’m yet to find a person who’s in favour of the development.”

Mr Dumper also expressed his surprise that Strategic Land Partnerships, who made the application, had not offered to give a presentation for Lympstone residents as they had in Exmouth.

At the end of the meeting, a vote was taken which showed that Lympstone residents were unanimously opposed to the development.

The application will now be formally considered by Lympstone Parish Council at its meeting on Monday, July 4.

The application will also be considered by Exmouth Town Council, who will decide this Monday whether to hold a special public meeting to discuss the plans. East Devon District Council will then consider the plans and will be responsible for making a final decision.