Villagers have criticised South Hams District Council as diggers moved into an historic field this week.

Residents of Holbeton say a decision was made to approve two developments in the village without councillors on the planning committee having access to all the necessary information.

Members of SHDC’s development management committee granted permission to the Trustees of the Flete Estate on August 2 this year, subject to the signing of a Section 106 agreement. The two outline schemes proposed 26 houses, 16 on land north of Church Hill and 10 on a plot east of Vicarage Hill.

But villagers opposed to the scheme say the county archaeologist’s opinion on the sites, which should have been considered by the planning committee and the planning officer in the case, were "mis-filed" and not taken into account. The archaeologist had said no decision should be made until further investigations were carried out.

Residents watched this week as a digger moved into Minchinhay field, the site north of Church Hill, to begin digging 250 metres of trenches to check for any important archaeology. They feel the initial decision should be overturned, before councillors consider the applications anew with all the information they need.

Local woman Sandi Marshall said: "What we’re saying is, it needs to go back to the committee now, rather than digging it up first."

A spokesman for SHDC said: "The events are as follows: A planning application was submitted to the council seeking outline planning permission for housing at a site on Church Hill, Holbeton. The county archaeologist was consulted, he responding raised an initial ‘holding’ objection asking that archaeological investigations take place on site before determining the planning application.

"These comments were not acted upon before the planning application was considered by the development management committee in August. The committee resolved to grant planning permission subject to the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement, and as the drafting of the legal agreement takes time this means the application has not yet been formally determined.

"The council was then made aware of the county archaeologist’s comments, and has asked the applicant to undertake the investigative works in accordance with the requirements of the county archaeologist before the application is formally determined.

"The investigation requires on-site trenching to be undertaken by qualified archaeologists so they can understand whether or not there is any important archaeology that needs to be preserved and/or that would impact on the way in which the site may be developed. The outcome of the investigations will determine whether or not the application needs to be re-considered by the development management committee.

"The on-site trenching works are being done at the request of the County Archaeologist, not at the request of South Hams District Council. This is a standard procedure when a geophysical survey identifies the possibility of archaeology being present on a potential development site."

Residents have issued a press release, complete with contact details for Mrs Marshall and three other residents. It begins: "Residents of Holbeton are upset by the fact that diggers are being sent, this week, to disturb an ancient site. It lies in a field near the village’s Grade 1 listed church.

"The dig follows mistakes by SHDC during the planning process. The diggers will disturb an ancient path used by monks and nuns, and which can still be seen as an indentation in the earth."

Another resident, David Bolton stressed Mrs Marshall was "not a lone voice". Speaking more generally, he said: "Many objectors feel very strongly that there is a real threat that the green fields of the South Hams, with the active encouragement of the planners in Follaton House, are being built over at an alarming rate.

"And this is in response to an imagined, but not proven, need for more and more housing.

"In particular they worry that the two developments in Holbeton would transform a small, compact and very special ancient village into yet another over-developed dormitory for Plymouth."