CONTROVERSIAL plans for the erection of an office on the site of the former fire station in Chagford have been refused, writes Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter.

The old fire station site in the Dartmoor town has been maintained as an open grassed area since the old two storey granite and corrugated iron fire station was demolished but plans had been put forward by Squirrel Design for a new office building on the site.

Dartmoor National Park planning officers had recommended that the scheme be given the go-ahead but last Friday’s meeting saw authority members vote overwhelmingly against the plans.

Recommending refusal, Catherine Pannell said that the scale of the development was not appropriate, it would not enhance the area of the national park and that it failed to overcome the reasons why a similar and larger scheme had previously been refused.

Sally Morgan added: ‘There is no evidence for the need for this on this site in the report. This is the wrong place for this and it will have an impact on the surrounding environment.’

There had been 73 letters of objection against the scheme, compared to just 21 letters of support.

Marion Stanbury said: ‘It is clear from the level of objection that this is unwanted in the area. This is not a sustainable location for an office and this is not the right location for it.’

Alex O’Connor, on behalf of the applicants, said that they had reduced the height of the building, reduced the floor area by 13% and increased the green area, with the design addressing the issues from the previous refusals and the scheme had been recommended by officers for approval.

The recommendation said: ‘This proposal is considered to present a sustainable form of development, securing this vacant previously developed site with a new viable use to meet the needs of a long established local business.

‘It is of a scale and form that respects its location and is a high quality design solution that will be a positive addition to this part of the settlement.’

But committee members voted by eight votes to one, with three abstentions, to reject the application.