A PARISH councillor is encouraging people to make their views known before public feedback on a planning appeal closes.

Building at the former Bridge View Nurseries site in Calstock has stopped with only some of the new houses constructed.

The developer, Construction Partners Ltd, has told Cornwall Council that it cannot afford to build the affordable homes that were a condition of the planning approval.

It has blamed the local authority’s planning department for delays, stating that it has had conflicting advice from different planning officers about how to go about amending the affordable housing provision.

Construction Partners also says that it had found a partner organisation to take the affordable houses forward but that Cornwall Council “rejected its choice of housing association provider”, and that no others had responded.

The developer has two appeals currently lodged with the regional planning inspectorate. One of these is appealing Cornwall Council’s decision to refuse its request to change the conditions on the original planning approval.

Calstock Parish Councillor Alastair Tinto says that the scheme was only supported originally by the council on the basis that 15 of the 45 houses would be affordable for local people.

“The houses that have already been built are offered for sale at between £500,000 and £800,000 which is way above what most people in Calstock can afford. If this appeal is successful we will have 33 houses like this,” he said.

“There are about 450 houses in Calstock. This would increase the housing stock by over seven per cent. In my view this would completely distort the housing provision in Calstock with houses that are not needed.

“The planning officer has noted that the developer is already in breach of the agreement, in that he did not submit an affordable housing scheme before work commenced on the site.”

Representations to the Planning Inspectorate can be made until February 28 at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk