Development former Arla creamery, Trevarrian, Mawgan Porth

Acorn Property Group has applied for permission for the mixed-use development at the former Arla creamery in Trevarrian near Mawgan Porth.

The plan is recommended for approval with planning conditions at a meeting of Cornwall Council’s central sub-area planning committee on Monday, June 5.

However, there is considerable opposition to the proposals from locals, who say it will almost double the size of Trevarrian and could lead to an increase in second homes. Mawgan-in-Pydar Parish Council also strongly opposes the scheme.

The former Arla creamery at Trevarrian near Mawgan Porth (Image: Laurence Associates)

The former Arla site ceased trading in 2021 and has now been earmarked to provide homes and employment opportunities. A design and access statement submitted with the plans states that it would be “a high quality, sustainable housing development” which would be an effective use of brownfield land.

A planning report filed for councillors states: “The social, economic and environmental benefits associated with introducing this mixed-use development, comprising of employment floorspace with open market homes, carries great weight in support of approval.”

The report adds: “This proposal would result in the loss of a substantial area of business space. This weighs against approval, with supporting text in the Cornwall Local Plan making clear that employment sites in Cornwall remain an important part of supporting economic growth.

"The actual harm is tempered, as the applicant is committing to ensuring that the business space proposed by this application would result in better quality employment space in terms of sustainability. It is also possible that the reduced scale and increased flexibility in use of the new employment units, relative to the existing factory, could be more suitable in function and character to Trevarrian.”

The former Arla creamery at Trevarrian near Mawgan Porth (Image: Laurence Associates)

However, local councillor Paul Wills is against the plan: “If this development goes ahead, it will increase the size of the settlement by about half. It is, in my opinion and also the residents of Trevarrian’s opinion, on the wrong side of the road. I am in agreement with the parish council that this development should not be permitted and is wrong for the area.”

Mawgan-in-Pydar Parish Council has previously objected to the development. It stated: “The proposal seeks to demolish a modern factory building and redevelop that part of the site, together with its car parking areas, with open market housing. It further proposes to construct two commercial buildings and alternative car parking on part of the site that has never been developed but which was required for landscaping and screening purposes when the most recent extension to the factory was built around 2011.

“First it is a mandatory requirement of CLP Policy 5 that, where a loss of what is clearly significant business space is contemplated, it must first be ‘demonstrated that there is no market demand through active and continued marketing for at least a period of nine months’. It is now conceded that this never occurred, rather the site was knocked down in short order by the selling agent to the applicant as a ‘residential development opportunity’ and without even a ‘for sale’ sign being erected outside the site. Nor, as is seemingly now being argued, would the proposed scheme ‘result in the provision of better-quality employment space allowing for mixed use’.

“Because of its small size and lack of facilities, Trevarrian did not even have its own development envelope under the Restormel Plan and it has never been considered suitable for the type of significant expansion now proposed for reasons of ‘sustainability’.

“In short this is a proposal that is overwhelmingly opposed by local residents, by the parish council and by the divisional member. It is fundamentally flawed in the context of the policies of the statutory Development Plan and, in [our] view should have been refused planning permission under delegated powers.”

A number of residents have aired their opposition on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, fearing that it would nearly double the size of the hamlet, which currently has around 60 homes.

Claire Mildenhall wrote: “This will nearly double the size of the village and ruin the character of a rural community with second homes and holiday traffic. The road is already dangerous and as a mother of two children who get the school bus from the village road safety is a huge concern.

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“The current development supported local jobs for approximately 35 people, this site will only proved a few seasonal jobs and a couple of affordable dwellings. This in no way addresses the housing crisis for local people and the lack of year-round employment. We are lucky to live in an area of outstanding beauty, how will this development fit into this landscape? The current building is not visible from the road, the proposal would be.

"As a lover of wildlife, I am also concerned about our owls and bats which thrive on the current site. I would support a smaller development, which could support local jobs year round and homes, which was in keeping with the local landscape and something which would add to our village community.”

Susan Phillips added: “I object strongly to the plans regarding the sheer blight it would cause to our beautiful hamlet. I have lived in Trevarrian for 25 years now and the proposed plans just aren’t in keeping with the surroundings at all. The creamery buildings are screened at present by large grass banks and to encroach the building work to the roadside seems preposterous and impactful not to mention the concern of visibility on an already fast flowing road.

“Concerns also for the wildlife in the area and of barn owls that live in a resident’s barn, it is vital that we protect and conserve one of the most beautiful birds that call the countryside home. Concluding then that there isn’t need or want for this many houses to be built in the hamlet.”

A decision will be made at the planning meeting at Lys Kernow (County Hall), Truro, on Monday.