A SCHEME for 25 homes at Drakewalls has been unanimously refused by Caradon District Council's planning committee because of overdevelopment. The outline plan for Pearce's Yard, which was to include ten affordable homes, was considered too large for the site and offered limited amenity and play space. Planning officers had recommended the proposal be refused and Calstock Parish Council was of the same view, raising similar concerns about overdevelopment, plus highway safety and contaminated land issues. Chairman of the planning committee and member of Calstock parish council Russell Bartlett said: 'The plan showed houses facing each other with not enough room between — there was no outlook and far too many on the site. 'There is nothing to say that development cannot take place there but a reduction in houses to 10 or 12 would be more suitable.' It was considered by planning officers that the mix of two and three-storey constructions combined with the high density of 64 dwellings per hectare was unsympathetic to the 'residential character and local distinctiveness of the locality.' Neighbouring areas had a much lower density of homes. The site is within the recently designated Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and close to the former Drakewells Mine which is known to have created one of the most contaminated areas of mine waste in the locality. It is currently home to commercial premises, offering local employment to the area. The committee was told that Government policy was to encourage re-use of brownfield sites for development and redevelopment purposes but problem sites like this were often used for residential purposes because of the higher development costs. 'The degree of site difficulty in this case may therefore preclude effective redevelopment of the site for employment purposes,' said officers. Caradon's affordable housing development officer said there were 40 households in housing need listed for the parish of Calstock. At Calstock parish council's meeting last month members opposed the Pearce's Yard scheme and a plan for nearby Glendorgals for 16 homes which involves the demolition of a former mine captain's house.
