Business park go-ahead despite fears for ancient road

The go-ahead has been given for industrial units on the site of an ancient road through the South Devon countryside.

Archaeologists have already examined the road at Sherford which was used as a trading route more than 2,000 years ago.

Now, a new business park will go up on the site despite opposition from some local councillors.

With the road already excavated and examined, it will now be protected under the soil from which the business park will emerge. 

Members of South Hams Council’s development management committee voted in favour of a plan to dig ‘platforms’ into the land beside the A38 near Plympton.

Industrial units will be built on the levelled platforms as the business park takes shape in conjunction with the Plymouth ‘freeport’ project.

Permission had already been given for the project, but the latest application was for slight changes in the levels of the platforms.

A number of councillors complained that they had not been given enough information to make a decision, while others urged the protection of the road, which was in use in Roman times.

Archaeologists found evidence of an ancient road, Bronze Age homes and Roman farmsteads during the preparation of the site. Ice Age mammoth, rhino and wolf remains have been found nearby.

Developers have pledged to analyse and preserve the finds before putting them on public display.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington and Staverton) asked if the platforms could be designed to avoid the ancient road, but committee chairman Cllr Mark Long (Ind, Salcombe and Thurlestone) pointed out that permission had already been given.

Cllr Lee Bonham (Lib Dem, Loddiswell and Aveton Gifford) argued: “I don’t think we are doing ourselves justice.

“We have got a site here with enormous heritage and we aren’t making sufficient effort to look at ways of preserving it.

“I know the government wants us to build, build, build, but we need to build in a responsible way.”