WE residents of Chulmleigh are in a state of shock and disbelief at the recent decision by the Local Planning Officer (North Devon District Council) to completely ignore the views of local people and the District Council by approving the development of up to 95 new homes in our historic Saxon hilltop town. Whilst the developer, Devonshire Homes, portrays this judgment as a victory for those seeking affordable homes, the reality is that it is maximising its profitability by looking to build as many homes in a small area as it can. A smaller number of homes would have been more in keeping with the nature of Chulmleigh. Sadly Devonshire Homes has been able to capitalise on the loopholes in the planning regulations that make any planning decisions no more than an academic exercise led by an unelected bureaucrat rather than a democratic one where local citizens have a say in their environment. Despite the fact that Planning approval has been granted, I have no doubt that residents of Chulmleigh, such as myself, will do their best to highlight the terrible erosion of our democracy and environment that this government has facilitated through its planning processes. The concreting over of our rural landscape with brick boxes, of which this developer is sadly able to display many examples, represents the passage of an England that once stood for something. Chris Lipscomb Kingscot Fore Street Chulmleigh