A controversial retail park on the outskirts of Helston has been refused – more than 18 months after plans first went in.

Parsonage Developments Ltd had applied for permission to develop a 2.7 hectare greenfield site at Hospital Cross, between the Sainsbury’s supermarket and Flambards Theme Park, to include an Aldi, McDonald's and Costa, with drive-thrus for the latter two.

Originally plans also included The Range, but this element was withdrawn in February 2022.

The plans were first submitted in July 2021 and have gone through various amendments.

Throughout, however, they have remained controversial, with more than 300 members of the public writing to Cornwall Council with their views – 209 against the development and 93 in support.

Eleven parish councils, representing more than 9,500 living on the Lizard Peninsula had submitted a joint letter calling for the application to be refused on the grounds of impact on the roads, in what was described as an "unprecedented" move at the time.

Now a decision has been taken under delegated powers by an officer at Cornwall Council – who has refused planning permission on the grounds that it would have an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area.

The officer said: “The development will have a significant impact on the character and appearance of the site. There will be the loss of one of the internal hedges which are a fundamental part of the character of the site.

“The hedge to Helston Downs will be removed to allow the access and footway to be constructed. There are also significant earthworks proposed to achieve the necessary levels.”

They added that the council’s landscape officer had pointed out the photo montages provided with the application did “not fully reflect the proposed plans” – with items such as totem signs, new footways and breaks in the boundary to provide access not shown.

As such, it was decided that the landscape and visual impact assessment provided “underestimates the impact of the proposal.”

The officer said that the reduction in the number of units – with the removal of The Range – had resulted in an improved layout, but it remained that “the design is inappropriate for the location.”

The site is adjacent to RNAS Culdrose, and both he MoD and NATS Holdings (formerly National Air Traffic Services) both had significant concerns over the proposed development and the risk to air traffic safety and operation of the base – with a “significant redesign” required.

The officer said that changes to the siting and overall height of the building have led the MoD to state that they have no statutory safeguarding objection, but a number of concerns remained – including removal of advertisement consents and restrictions on external lighting.

They acknowledged that the proposed development would have an economic benefit and result in investment in the area – both of which were considered to attract “significant weight.”

“The scheme will not have an adverse impact on the town centre or other centres as most of the trade will be diverted from existing out of centre stores,” added the officer.

However, they went on to say that the site was “important to the setting of Helston and to local residents who use the adjacent path and road for recreation”, and the development would have “negative social and environmental impacts”, adding: “This carries great weight.”

The officer concluded: “Overall the proposal conflicts with the development plan and the negative impacts clearly outweigh the positive. It is therefore recommended that permission is refused.”

It had been suggested that should the development go ahead, a contribution should be made towards the Helston Town Transport Strategy and/or Helston Walking and Cycling Feasibility Study, to a total contribution of £1,085,460.

Earlier this year police warned they “cannot offer any guarantee” that a proposed retail park on the outskirts of Helston would not see issues with anti-social behaviour crime and disorder.

At the same time, objections were raised by a company providing an emergency equipment service to nearby RNAS Culdrose.

The Defence Estates Safeguarding Team said there had been concerns raised around the light that would be produced by the retail complex as a whole, which could affect the performance of night vision devices used by aircrews.