Objectors to a plan to build a housing estate on a main road into Tavistock have intensified their campaign by lobbying the public.

Residents claim Tavistock’s roads and services will not be able to cope with demands from a 120-house estate on a field off Callington Road, suggested by Barratt Homes.

Objectors claim extra residents from the estate would overburden schools, GP surgeries and local roads and damage nature, including hedgerows and owl and bat habitats.

Residents bordering the potential site took their fight to the streets. They leafletted shoppers on Bedford Square with support from Torridge and Tavistock MP Sir Geoffrey Cox and Devon county councillor Debo Sellis.

This comes as the town comes under pressure in all directions from developers wanting to build more homes on Plymouth Road, Violet Lane and other sites.

Margaret Kent, of the pressure group TRACE (Tavistock Residents Against Callington Road Development), said: “The day went very well. We found that the vast majority of people we spoke to in the square were in support of our campaign objectives.

“They were happy to take our leaflets, many saying they’d object to the application. People from outside Tavistock but regularly visiting and shopping here, showed interest and took leaflets. Few had no issue with the development.”

This plan comes as Tavistock comes under pressure from developers wanting to build homes on Plymouth Road, Violet Lane and elsewhere.

Duncan Fleming, who lives next to the Callington Road site, said: “Callington Road is a main approach into Tavistock which is Devon’s only World Heritage town. If this goes ahead, it would ruin the town’s character and threaten its heritage status.”

Fellow resident Tim Mitchell said: “This not just about the Callington Road site, the cumulative impact of all these developments must be taken into consideration by planners. We are in danger of sleepwalking into destroying Tavistock’s character and damaging its economy. People might not even want to live here if that happens.”