Residents of historic Devon seaside village brace for surge in giant ultra-modern homes after one dubbed an ‘alien box’ is given green light – but do they have a point?

Residents of a historic seaside town say they are bracing for a wave of giant, ultra-modern homes after one dubbed the ‘alien box’ was unanimously approved.

Villagers in Maidencombe, Devon, which is home to houses dating back to the 13th century and referenced in the Doomsday Book, are this week up in arms against the decision by council planners.

The village of around 70 houses – mainly traditional whitewashed stone cottages and bungalows – is nestled among red sandstone cliffs near Torquay and has its own beach and a pub voted the best in Devon in 2022.

But a decision last week to allow a homeowner to demolish a chalet bungalow and replace it with a flat-roof ‘shipping container’ four times its size has sent shockwaves through the village.

Locals say the village has special protection under a neighborhood plan agreed with Torbay Council in 2019, meaning any development must respect local character and heritage.

However, the approval of the controversial ‘alien box’ house sets a precedent for others to follow suit.

The architect’s drawing of the new home that was attached to the building application. Credit: Storm Architects

Nigel Goodman, 72, a retired civil engineer, said: ‘A lot of people are very angry about the decision’

An aerial view of Mouse Cottage and surrounding properties on Brim Hill

Dr. Rodney Horder, secretary of Maidencombe Residents Association, said: “If you look around we are a small hamlet, this is a very rural community and a heavy glass box is out of place here.

‘There is no doubt that they won. Our concern now is very much that this sets a precedent for other sites.”

Mr Horder emphasized that this was not about preventing new developments or so-called nimbyism, and that residents had supported the majority of planning applications in recent years.

He added: ‘We have no objection to replacing the cottage with a building that does not completely fill the footprint and has a similar overall design with a pitched roof.

‘It could be a little bigger and a little higher, that’s no problem, but not four times as big.’

Nigel Goodman, 72, a retired civil engineer, said: ‘Many people are very angry about the decision, but others will think this is an opportunity to change their home.

‘That box is just alien to what the character of the village should be.

‘We have spent hundreds of hours on the neighborhood plan and what now hurts is that it is in the trash. I suspect that there will be new applications because a precedent has been set.

‘Some people will say it is good to modernize the village, but not instead of heritage protection. As soon as you open the door, that protection is gone.’

The house to be demolished – Mouse Cottage – is located in open countryside next to a nature reserve, while it is not in a protected nature reserve, but is directly adjacent to it. Planning documents show that the new flat-roofed, four-bedroom house will have large expanses of glass and a swimming pool.

In April last year, an application for a larger building in a similar style was rejected and an appeal by the developer was later rejected.

The planning permission application for a new house in a small village on the outskirts of Torquay

Maidencombe has houses dating back to the 13th century and is referred to in the Doomsday Book

Villagers are concerned that the approval of plans for Mouse Cottage (pictured) will lead to a wave of ultra-modern applications

Carl Taylor, who has lived in the village for 37 years, described the approval as a ‘clear insult to Torbay Council’s own policies’

He said: ‘From my house up the hill, if you look across Maidencombe, little has changed since 1935. It is unique in the sense that its development has been kept under control over the years.

“If this application had been properly assessed, it would have been rejected.”

In April last year, an application for a larger building was rejected and an appeal by the developer was later rejected. The latest application takes into account the reasons why the previous one was rejected.

At a Torbay Council planning meeting last week, James Wells, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the new house would replace a ‘tired and fairly poorly functioning property’ and would fit comfortably into its surroundings.

Mr Wells has been contacted for comment.