FEARS that St Ann?s Chapel is being over-developed for housing were made by parish councillors last week as they considered a planning application for another 12 houses in the village. Cornwall House Developments is proposing to build the homes, which include four affordable dwellings, at The Beeches ? a scheme which includes the demolition of an existing bungalow and garage. Speaking at a meeting of Calstock Parish Council last week, St Ann?s resident Joanne Harding said she was against the number of properties at the site and the increased traffic it would create, using the main A390. She said within a quarter of a mile there would be three new developments, including the large estate of All Saints Park, which would mean at least another 200 cars. Mrs Harding said: ?Parking on the A390 is becoming the norm, there is no mention of a children?s play area and we have no community centre. ?Cars have to take people out of the village to use facilities elsewhere ? St Ann?s Chapel cannot sustain this sort of development.? Councillors were told it would be difficult to refuse the scheme as the land was within the development boundary. If it was turned down, it would probably get through on appeal, they heard. Cllr Dorothy Kirk said in the parish plan, people had made it clear that they did not want to see developments of more than ten houses in St Ann?s Chapel and if this proposal was supported, the council might as well rip up the parish plan. There were fears that the A390 in that area was ?at saturation point? and talk of a roundabout at the busy crossroads at the top end of the village had not come to fruition. ?First it was ribbon development, now it?s back development ? when is it going to stop, because it is nothing but housing,? said Cllr Ian Kirk. ?There are no amenities, a road which no-one can drive down because there are so many cars parked on it and all the people are going to Plymouth to work. ?I think Caradon (District Council) should stop giving permission willy nilly.? There were also concerns raised about the close proximity of the DAC coach depot to the development site and the potential complaints about the noise and smell. Cllr John Roberts said: ?My major concern is if this development is permitted and goes forward, the garage owner would be constantly battling with the environmental department because of residents making complaints. ?There must be cast iron, absolute, fundamental protection of this well established business next door.?
