Affordable housing approved for North Cornwall village, despite concerns
Planning officers had raised concerns over landscape and road safety
Last updated 9th Aug 2022
Plans to build affordable housing in a North Cornwall village have been approved despite concerns that the development could impact protected landscape and road safety.
Cornwall Council's east sub-area planning committee granted planning permission against planning officers' recommendation.
Planning consultants Situ 8 submitted the outline planning application for five homes to be built on land off Treyarnon Lane in St Merryn, near Padstow.
The application indicated that the development would be "affordable housing led" but as a rural exception site would be expected to provide 100 per cent affordable homes.
The application was for outline planning and all other aspects of the development, including the design, layout and size of the homes, would be subject to a subsequent reserved matters application.
Why did planning officers recommend refusal?
Planning officers had recommended that the application be refused saying that it would cause harm to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and that there was a "serious highway safety concern". Officers told councillors that visibility from the junction of a road used to access the site only provided opportunity for drivers to “creep and peep” to see whether it was safe to join the B3276.
St Merryn Parish Council and local Cornwall councillor Stephen Rushworth had both supported the application saying that it would help to meet local housing need and that there was a lack of affordable housing in the area. They also stated that possible development sites for affordable housing had been difficult to find and that these proposals were welcome.
The committee heard from Mandie Hicks who said that the site was her father's land which was being made available for affordable housing so she and her family could afford their own home in the area. She explained that she was currently living with her father and that her young family was growing too big to share the home adding that the situation was "untenable".
Local mum facing "untenable" housing situation
She said: "We have tried to rent somewhere locally but all houses are holiday lets and buying is impossible. I am just one example of someone who is struggling. I am lucky in that my father has land that can be used for affordable homes that will be used for full time occupancy. It will deliver much needed affordable housing for local families".
Cllr Rushworth said that he had been "working for years to get affordable housing built in the village" but "we have been unable to get anybody to give land for this". He urged the committee to grant planning permission.
Committee member Adrian Parsons said he was minded to support the application adding: "I think there are enough positives to outweigh the negatives of this scheme to give it some legs and make it a goer".
He said that the provision of affordable housing would be good for the area, adding: "As we have heard and we know that many of these coastal towns and villages have become hotspots and prices are incredibly high".
"There enough positives to outweigh the negatives"
Barry Jordan said that when he first looked at the application he was in two minds but said that after listening to the debate in the meeting he had been convinced that the application should be approved. He said that there was already development around the site and that whilst he wanted to protect the AONB he considered that any damage would already have been done by the other homes nearby. He added: "I see no reason to refuse it".
A proposal to approve outline planning permission was agreed unanimously.