Residents' groups in Paignton and Torquay have been up in arms at suggestions of building hundreds of homes on green fields.
But at a meeting to discuss the quality of landscape around Torbay's urban fringe — including some of the sites listed for potential housing — planner Les Crump said: "You do have to be realistic about growth."
The executive head of spatial strategy told the meeting at the Grand Hotel that Torbay has resisted Government proposals for 15,000 new homes, which has yet to be confirmed, and that the 10,000 figure supported by Torbay Council is over a 20-year period.
Mr Crump said: "We are hoping to get something like 7,000 in the urban area. It is a bit like burying your head in the sand to suggest there won't be growth, and it is unrealistic to expect there will not to be some green field land take.
"If you are a house builder — and house builders are fundamentally important to our economy — having green field opportunities means perhaps we can maximise the opportunity for affordable housing which is a fundamental requirement of our community and means we can provide them much more easily."
The meeting with councillors and interested bodies discussed the findings of specialist consultants who have categorised different areas of Torbay's 'countryside' according to a nationally recognised system.
The consultants, Enderby Associates, have identified eight types of landscape, from rolling farmland to open coastal plateaux within the Bay boundary. These replace previous designations such as area of great landscape value and urban landscape protection area.
A second document is being drafted to rate some 80 landscape areas area on how 'sensitive' they are to change.
The sites being looked at include Collaton St Mary, Yalberton, White Rock in Paignton and Edginswell Valley, Scotts Meadow and Maidencombe in Torquay. These were suggested as potential housing sites in consultation this autumn on the new look local plan.
When questioned why the second report was not available for public comment, Steve Turner, service manager for strategic management, said the technical report would be part of the evidence used to develop the preferred options in the new draft framework and would only be published with it. Publication has been delayed until after the General Election.
Mr Crump said: "This report will help us decide the most appropriate locations if we are looking at green field development. We are not ready to release that information. There is a public consultation exercise in which everybody's views will be taken into account."
