A PLAN for six low cost homes in Latchley, unanimously opposed by Calstock Parish Council, has caused controversy in the small village.

But the developer says the aim is to get young people in the area on to the housing ladder.

Despite a recent consultation exercise to find suitable sites for affordable housing in Calstock parish, which has the largest number of people on the housing register in East Cornwall, Latchley was omitted because of its its unsuitability for development.

But Kelly Bray firm Selleck Nicholls has applied to build six two and three bedroomed homes with associated parking on a Local Connection Discount Scheme in the village, where the nearest amenities are two miles away through steep, narrow lanes.

The firm said this week it would be providing an opportunity for local people to buy their own homes — a typical two-bed would cost £87,000 — which was a struggle for many with the current prices of open market housing.

Residents in some 40 households in Latchley — there are only 54 in the main part of the village — have signed a petition or registered opposition with Cornwall Council. They are calling for a site meeting so planners can 'view the dangers of the narrow lanes' before any decision is made.

Resident Nikki Chaplin claimed it was 'completely insane' to look at putting any sort of development at the end of this narrow lane.

She said it was outside the village boundary but would be considered as 'an exception site' because the homes were affordable.

Cornwall councillor for Latchley Jim Flashman said he did not think Latchley lended itself to any developments of this size:?'The sewerage system is at capacity, there are no shops or services, buses or trains, there is nothing there and all the roads are single track.

'I support affordable housing and this is a local developer who employs people who live in this area but I just think this is the wrong location.'

Parish councillor Mike Greenwood said the parish council took affordable housing very seriously, which was why it had been heavily involved in the consultation process with Cornwall Council.

'We excluded Latchley because it is completely unsuitable for this type of development. Apart from the obvious problems of access and lack of services and a potentially overloaded sewerage system, the households living immediately below are very worried about the surface water run-off from this site. It has a whole plethora of problems.'

Andrew Selleck, of Selleck Nicholls, said there were 177 households in need of affordable housing in Calstock parish.

'We are trying to make provision for these people who already live in the north part of the Calstock parish, particularly those who grew up there and want to stay, he said.

'Gone are the days when people relied on the corner shop for their weekly shop. People who live in villages use the nearest towns anyway to shop so the fact that there are no services does not stop the people of Latchley having access to services.'

Mr Selleck said his firm specialised in developments of this kind which enabled young, professional people to get on the housing ladder.

Through the affordable housing consultation process, four sites have been recommended for consideration in Calstock village and St Ann's Chapel.