CALSTOCK Parish Council has put on hold a decision to support a development on a ‘rural exception site’ in the village of Harrowbarrow which would be 50% affordable housing.
The council, which is aiming for 100% affordable housing on its ‘rural exception sites’ after the community voted through its neighbourhood development plan recently, is to take advice from Cornwall Council’s affordable housing team.
Twenty-four members of the public have objected to the application for six homes on land adjacent to Valley View on Callington Road in Harrowbarrow.
They are concerned about overdevelopment of the 3.36 acre site, destruction of the countryside, inadequate road infrastructure, the design of the homes not being in keeping with the area and the proposal being against the neighbourhood development plan.
Opponents have also said that the area already has adaquate housing with a lot of housebuilding in the parish in recent years, particularly at St Ann’s Chapel.
The proposal is to construct two three-bedroom affordable homes and one two-bedroom affordable house, along with two four-bedroom and one three-bedroom open market houses to make the scheme viable.
The site has been the subject of several previous applications and pre applications.
Red Planning, agents for the applicants Martin Scoble and K Slade, said each dwelling would be served by its own access providing two off street parking space with each plot.
The homes would be a mixture of semi and detached units finished in stone and render with slate roofs.
The designs were in keeping with surrounding housing and the character of the area, and would provide an appropriate gateway to the village, the applicants say.
The application site has been formed by two landowners owners joining forces.
They are aiming to provide both affordable and open market housing whilst at the same time addressing a highways issue at this pinch point on Callington Road at the entry and exit of Harrowbarrow, they said.
Calstock Parish Council said that whilst it was keen to support ‘rural exception sites’ it felt unable to make a decision at present with the level of information that had currently been provided.
The council has requested more information on the levels of contamination on the site as no contamination report has been forthcoming:
The viability of 100% affordable housing: no viable economic statement had been provided by the Affordable Housing team and this was integral in its discussions
Vehicular access and impact: no traffic impact statement had been provided and Highways would be another key consultee
Layout and density of building: six dwellings on that site would be seen as overdevelopment and the visual appearance could have a detrimental impact within the setting and current information would show unreasonable harm to neighbouring properties.
Nature conservation: removal of a hedgerow will negatively affect wildlife and biodiversity
Physical infrastructure: a report from South West Water was required to consider the proposed sewage system
Heritage: The site is on a medieval field which is not referenced
More than 79% voted in favour of the Calstock Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan recently, supporting the council’s plans to reject any more new housing estates in preference of infill within development boundaries and the provision of rural exception sites for affordable housing to address the lack of homes for local people currently in the parish.
The council says decision on exception sites would take into consideration the viability of the development including the cost of developing on contaminated land which was prevalent in the parish due to its mining history.