And finally… Residents oppose Devon distillery for being ‘too Scottish’
Residents of a Devon village have objected to plans for a nearby whisky distillery because it looks too “Scottish”.
The £4 million plans from Princetown Distillers Ltd, which include a visitors centre and cafe, have brought in 46 letters of objection and four letters of support.
Residents are concerned the distillery is to be rendered brown when the village is mainly white with slate.
One resident of the village of Princetown said the “design is deemed to be Scottish, Dartmoor is not”.
Villagers are also concerned about the height of the building and whether the business is too big for Princetown.
Local resident Alison Geen wrote: “The pagoda whilst typical to Scottish distilleries is not typical here and inappropriate to a building in Princetown or anywhere on Dartmoor.”
One villager, who gave their name as D Spence, wrote that they would be more supportive of the idea if it made “less of an impact to the area”.
“Even the architect for the distillery said the design of the high tower and general appearance of the property is purely cosmetic and in keeping to a traditional Scottish distillery,” they said.
“Well Princetown is not Scotland and the looks are not in keeping to the local area.”
However, some residents support the plans, recognising the potential boost to jobs, investment and visitors to the area.
Stuart Ross wrote that it was a “great idea” for the village.
About 120 members of the public raised a number of points both for and against the distillery at a Dartmoor Forest Parish Council last week.