Dismay as inspector allows development appeal

RESIDENTS who have spent years battling plans for a major housing development at a former Penryn nursery have been devastated by an appeal ruling to allow it.

Government planning inspector Clive Kirkbride concluded the outline scheme for Gabbon's Nursery at Round Ring met an overriding local need for affordable housing and gave it the go-ahead.

Arguments that it would result in the loss of agricultural land and damage the appearance of the area were not accepted by Mr Kirkbride, who heard evidence from both sides. Eric Dawkins, who has been a spokesperson for residents in the past, said everyone was left disappointed by the result, which would set a precedent for building homes in the countryside across the county. Poltair Developments had twice been refused outline planning permission for the redundant greenfield site, first in 2004, then last summer, after which it lodged the appeal.

The company's interests in the site have been taken over by Maxim Ventures LLP, who pursued the appeal at the four-day inquiry at Falmouth council chambers in April.

Under a condition of the decision, Mr Kirkbride said density should be limited to 48 dwellings per hectare. Previous schemes have only been for 37 and residents now fear an even larger scale scheme could be put forward.

Despite about 60 residents raising major concerns about highway safety in the past, Cornwall Council's roads department, County Highways, said it was "satisfied" with the scheme and Mr Kirkbride concluded in the absence of technical evidence to the contrary, it would not cause safety risks.

Promote

The appellant agreed to submit a travel plan to promote walking, cycling and using public transport and limiting occupants' reliance on car travel.

Dougie Graham, who lives next to the site, said: "We are very depressed and upset. There were lots of us who fought the good fight. This application was democratically refused twice by councillors who listened to what people who live here had to say and it was allowed by one man.

"We are now looking to endure months of chaos and a lifetime of choked roads."

Jean Trevena, of Old Well Gardens, said: "The question of allotments was merely brushed aside as being prohibitively costly and of little or no commercial value. It is incumbent upon the council to provide allotments for its area and this would fulfil such a need.

"The appeal also stated there was an absence of technical evidence the development would cause harm to highway safety despite all local knowledge it would be a disaster waiting to happen."

Cornwall Council's lack of evidence of a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites was a key part of the decision to allow the scheme.

Under planning policy the local planning authority must demonstrate this to allow a balance of brown and greenfield sites to be released.

"There are too few remaining brownfield sites to meet housing needs of Falmouth and Penryn," said Mr Kirkbride, "and a number of these are subject to delays for a variety of reasons. This is a material consideration and I have afforded it significant weight."