TWO contentious planning applications for affordable housing in St Newlyn East are likely to be approved tomorrow night.

A specially-convened meeting of Cornwall Council's central sub area planning committee at County Hall, Truro, will hear plans for 65 new homes in the village.

Wombell Homes (JR)'s application for 40 dwellings – 20 of which will be affordable – and First Step Homes South West's plans for 15 affordable homes will go before the planning committee.

Both applications, marked for approval, will see new homes built on land off Halt Road if they get the go-ahead.

St Newlyn East Parish Council and local residents have voiced discontent at the applications, claiming they represent overdevelopment of the area and will add to traffic problems off Halt Road.

In a letter to Cornwall Council, the parish council said of the Wombwell Homes' application: "We object on grounds of overdevelopment. We are concerned that the village infrastructure cannot cope, including drainage, sewerage and particularly highways.

"However, the majority of councillors abstained from voting because they would prefer to consider it with the First Step Homes' application for affordable housing.

Objection

"The cumulative effect of both applications is too much. The parish council would like to see improvements to the access roads around the church/Sarah's Corner before commenting further."

The council also received 15 letters of objection to the scheme. These raised concerns over a lack of parking, inadequate highway visibility, increase in traffic and fears that people parking on Halt Road would cause "chaos" in the village.

However, despite the objections, Cornwall Council said: "The proposal will provide 20 affordable dwellings to meet local needs and 20 open market dwellings on a greenfield site previously identified as a draft rural housing allocation by Carrick District Council in 2005. It has been designed to a layout, scale form and design appropriate to its location."

First Steps Homes' plans were also set for approval, with the council backing its scheme for 10 three-bed units, four two-bedroom homes, and a single detached four-bedroom property. There are also 23 car parking spaces proposed.

Cornwall Council said: "The proposed development would facilitate the provision of 15 affordable homes for local people on a greenfield site considered to be suitable for development under the rural exceptions policy."