Plans for a new home have been approved despite concerns that it would be too large for the plot and “overbearing”.

Cornwall Council’s central sub-area planning committee granted planning permission for the new property in Porthpean Beach Road, St Austell.

Outline planning permission had previously been approved for a new home to be built on the plot and the new application was seeking full permission for a detached property with an integral garage.

St Austell Bay Parish Council had objected to the application along with local Cornwall councillor James Mustoe. They agreed that they believed the new home would be too large for the plot and too close to neighbouring properties.

Parish councillor Trudy Reynolds said that the parish council had previously been opposed to the outline planning application but now accepted that the principle of development was in place. However she said that the full application was not acceptable for the parish council.

She said: “It is the scale and mass of the development. We have to accept that there is outline planning permission but we would like to see a much reduced proposal.”

Cllr Mustoe said he agreed with the parish council and was concerned that the new home would be overbearing and result in loss of privacy for neighbours.

He said: “It is an overdevelopment of an existing plot. It will open the floodgates for significantly bigger buildings. It is out of character of Porthpean Beach Road and is out of proportion for the plot.”

Committee member Michael Bunney said that he knew the area “really well” and said that Porthpean was a small hamlet, describing nearby Higher Porthpean as “beautiful” and next to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and heritage coast.

He said that the neighbourhood development plan said that new development should enhance the area, and he did not consider that the proposals did that. He proposed refusal but when it was put to the vote it was lost with two votes in favour and eight against.

John Fitter said that with 15 other houses served by the road which would provide access to the new home he said it would not be a stretch to increase the number of homes by one.

He said that he considered that those who were opposed to the application were “still fighting the original approval” of outline planning permission.

Cllr Fitter said that the development would be infill and added: “I don’t consider it has any harm to the landscape, frankly.” And he said: “I honestly see nothing wrong with it.”

The committee agreed to approve the application but added a condition that would ensure that hedges around the site are retained. When put to the vote they voted nine in favour with one against.