Time has come to say 'no more homes'

ILLOGAN does not want any of the new houses earmarked for the district over the next 20 years, says the parish council.

Kerrier is currently working on an Area Action Plan, a blueprint for the future of the Camborne, Pool and Redruth area for the next 20 years.

Once finished, the document will be used to control housing growth and industrial development until 2026 (work began on the document in 2006).

Kerrier estimates 9,400 homes will have to be built to meet the growing needs of the area, 5,600 of which will be on existing brown-field sites, with a further 3,800 on new green-field sites.

It has identified four areas of land in Illogan that could meet the criteria for the new green-field land. They are West Illogan (2,250 homes), South Illogan (930), East Illogan (550) and Central Illogan (520).

Kerrier Council's forward planning manager Matthew Brown has outlined the proposals to members of Illogan Parish Council's planning committee.

He explained that the Illogan area would not be expected to bear the weight of all the 3,800 houses needed; they would be shared across the whole of Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

However, parish councillors were adamant that the village was already too large and could not take any more development.

They said the infrastructure was at breaking point with education, health and certain public utilities stretched to their limits.

Cllr Michelle Dunstan said: “We haven't got the amenities now, yet you want to double the size of the village.”

Cllr John Mayne pointed out that there had been an embargo on any major development in the Park Bottom area of the village since the 1970s because the sewerage system was working at full capacity.

“Any development there would need a brand new sewer all the way down to Bridge and what would that cost?” he asked.

Cllr Graham Ford said there was already a shortage of open space in Illogan. He added: “How can you develop new land and increase the amount of public open space at the same time?”

Cllr Mayne insisted Illogan should remain a rural community; it did not want to become CPR Illogan.

Kerrier's initial proposals will go out to public consultation later this month.

Residents of Illogan can view them at Penwartha Hall on Tuesday, July 29, from noon until 8.30pm.

Pool residents can see the proposals at Trevenson Community Hall on Thursday, July 31, from noon until 8.30pm.