A war of words has broken out over plans by a housing association to build affordable homes on a historic Second World War base in Cornwall. Protesting local residents argue construction will ruin an abundant wildlife site while the parish council, which owns the land, says it is perfect for much-needed housing.

Coastline Housing is proposing to build 22 bungalows on a former WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) base at Cambrose, near Portreath, which was used for housing and workshops to support the war effort during and after the Second World War.

The site contained 14 barrack blocks, offices, workshops and messes predominantly comprised of Nissen huts. There were two underground shelters and a blast shelter. Concrete foundation platforms, as well as the concrete air raid shelter entrances, remain visible above ground.

Coastline Housing and Classic Builders SW presented their draft proposals to Portreath Parish Council on Monday, July 10, with a public consultation due on July 18 at St Mary’s Church, Portreath, with a planning submission to Cornwall Council expected in late August, which if approved would see construction start in January 2024.

A spokesperson for Coastline said that 56 households have been identified in the Portreath area as being in housing need “and this development would greatly help these families and individuals to find a home of their own within the parish”.

Since the plans were first mooted, some residents of the parish including members of Portreath Climate Action Network have protested, hanging banners on the site boundary, which can be seen by motorists driving from Redruth to Portreath.

A group of residents protested again on Monday when the proposals were presented to the council. Standing in front of a banner listing all the species of birds spotted on the land and another simply stating ‘Protect’, they told me they had real concerns about the loss of a site that was once planned to be a nature reserve and education centre.

Rose Lewis, who lives in Portreath, said: “Cornwall Council sold the land to the parish council for £1, who in turn were going to turn it into a nature reserve, so let’s do it. With the right facilities it would be wonderful.” She was also concerned about run-off, stating that the area suffers from flooding.

“There’s no infrastructure here – people living in the houses would be stuck there,” she added.

Catherine Dennis, who has lived in Portreath since 1972, agreed. “It’s unfair to put social housing here – it’s not on a bus route, there are no pavements. It would be far better to put the houses on the edge of a town like Redruth. I’m not someone who objects to all development but this is the wrong place for it. It’s outside the village and there are no facilities.”

Keith Tippett, who keeps horses on a nearby field, said he was very concerned about the amount of asbestos on the site. “As soon as you start disturbing the ground, it’s going to disperse. It will be a massive health risk to people living there. We need some guarantees from the developers that it will be handled properly and legally disposed of.”

He added: “There’s an abundance of wildlife on the site including grass snakes, stoats, foxes, lizards, badgers and bats.”

During the protest, parish councillor Mark Hitchen drove down the lane abutting the site but was unable to get through. After asking the protesters to move their vehicles, he said: “I haven’t got a problem with them protesting as they feel strongly about it. As a parish councillor, we are in a Catch 22. Housing is in very short supply. I supported a scheme for ten to 15 affordable homes but now it’s 22 which I don’t think is right for this site.” The longest standing member of Portreath council, it was Mr Hitchen who first started the discussion about using the site for housing.

A spokesperson for Coastline Housing said it was more than happy to address any concerns with residents at next week’s public consultation. The results of that meeting and the other investigation work will inform the final planning designs.

In response to issues raised by protesters about drainage, Coastline said Cornwall Council had confirmed that an eight-month groundwater monitoring period with weekly visits was acceptable and this was ongoing.

The spokesperson said: “The proposed site will drain to swales contained within the site itself with a restricted flow to be discharged to the Redruth stream. Primarily surface water will be managed on site in the first instance to prevent flood downstream and discharges will be no more than those that currently occur in line with Environment Agency guidelines. Foulwater will be connected to the offsite drainage system via a Section 106 application to communicate with a South West Water sewer.

“With regard to concerns about a lack of infrastructure, the Portreath Mineral Tramway Trail runs along the northern boundary of the site which provides a pedestrian and cycle trail into Portreath itself and onward into Scorrier and Redruth. There is a bus stop less than 500m away. Those moving into the new homes will require a local connection and therefore everyone would be aware of the location of the site and local amenities.”

They added: “We appreciate questions have also been raised about wildlife on the site and can confirm we have had various surveys undertaken with some ongoing. These include badger, bat, reptile and invertebrates and nesting birds. There was a planning permission granted before our involvement to turn this site into a form of nature reserve, but this has now lapsed. Under the current planning requirements, we will have to secure Biodiversity Net Gain on site, with a 10 per cent overall increase and follow the hierarchy for BNG delivery.

“Finally, we are happy to allay any fears about the safe removal of asbestos on the site. The potential for asbestos risk is already flagged on this project given there are existing structures on this site. Asbestos is commonly found in many structures such as this and we have come across this on various sites in the past. Removal would be carried out in a controlled manner with licensed contractors all registered with the HSE and air monitors are placed if asbestos is found during works.”

Addressing concerns about infrastructure, Portreath Parish Council chairman Ian Stewart stressed that it was Coastline’s view that it is a sustainable site. He said: “If an applicant wanted to go and live there and thought they were going to be stranded I can only assume they wouldn’t bid for a house there.”

Of his fellow councillor Mr Hitchen’s comments, he said: “He thinks 22 is too many, that’s fair enough, but that’s his view. I applaud him for instigating a discussion for homes there. The parish council as a whole wants to address the housing crisis providing the environmental concerns are met by the developers.

“The latest figures show there are now 59 people in our parish looking for a home – if we build 22 we’re not even going to address the needs of people in our area.”