Facing a tough choice over future of land
Lowena Homes wants to build 53 flats on the site split into three blocks – a two-storey, a three-storey and a four-storey building, with associated parking.
The acre or so of land is currently home to an administrative block for a local nursery, an Army Cadet hut and a Scout hut.
Redruth Charity Trust owns the land and, if the development goes ahead, could get £500,000 from the sale plus eight apartments to rent to local people.
According to Chris Hailey, chairman of the trust, the sale of the land would generate a significant capital sum, plus regular rental income that would allow it to continue its significant charitable work in the TR15 and TR16 areas.
He said: “We would see this as a chance to develop in a beneficial way.”
However not all residents are behind the scheme.
A number of them feel traffic flow in the Drump Road area is already at breaking point at certain times of the day.
They do not believe the social infrastructure – such as schools and doctors and dental surgeries –would be able to cope with a development on this scale.
And they question whether the Redruth community needs, or indeed wants a development of this type.
Among the protestors is Henry Biscoe who knows the site as Jubilee Gardens, a green area created from a wilderness by the Rotary Club to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
He said: “The development will increase the population in Drump Road by more than 100 people and the parking for only 58 cars is totally inadequate.
“I am concerned that the increase in vehicles onto a road that houses two schools, a police station and a residential home, will result in a succession of accidents.”
Mr Biscoe believes there are already enough new flats in Redruth, many unsold.
He added: “When will developers realise that the people of Redruth do not want to live in an overcrowded and congested environment?”
Lowena Homes is currently consulting the town council and the community about its proposals.
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