Veryan, Cornwall battle for affordable homes

On an almost weekly basis, planning applications are leading to similar debates by Cornwall’s councillors and the Duchy’s residents. One village acting as a microcosm of the countywide issue is Veryan on the Roseland Peninsula.

Veryan is quiet, pretty, slightly off the tourism trail but close enough to wonderful beaches such as Carne and Pendower to make it a very attractive place to live indeed. You may think it’s a bit la-di-da out there – there’s a fair bit of money in the area, but it also requires social housing, with 35 households on the Homechoice housing register in dire need of somewhere to live.

The field earmarked for affordable housing in Veryan (Image: Lee Trewhela / LDRS)

It’s the old story we know so well in Cornwall – Veryan is one of those places where people who have been raised in the area struggle to stay because of inflated house prices and rents.

A recent planning application has split opinion in the village. Applicant Nick Hewitt-Boorman, in conjunction with Coastline Housing, is proposing a development of 13 ‘100% affordable’ homes for locals on a field next to Veryan Sports and Social Club, overlooking Roseland Gardens housing estate.

It’s caused a bit of hoo-ha but has also been welcomed by some, including Cornwall Council. The proposal has become such a talking point that a public meeting is now being planned where residents, both for and against, the parish council and the local Cornwall councillor can all discuss the matter.

I visited the village this week and met a group of residents who are vehemently against the application, though not necessarily against social housing in Veryan. The villagers took me to the field where the new houses are planned as well as to a site elsewhere in Veryan which they think is far more suitable for the affordable homes.

So what is their problem with the current plan?

Mary Clinton said: “While I recognise the need for affordable housing, I firmly believe that this particular development is ill-suited for the area and will have significant negative impacts on the community and environment.”

Lee Trewhela / LDRS (Image: Lee Trewhela / LDRS)

They cite the loss of agricultural land, which was being grazed by cows on our visit, drainage concerns, loss of a wildlife site that attracts a range of birds as well as deer and other animals, and fears about access to the road which they believe is already dangerous.

“The proposal is for 13 houses but where is it going to end? There is a further extension of land further up – it will mushroom and mushroom until it’s a concrete jungle, and this village will no longer be a village,” added Mary.

Michelle Clinton, Mary’s concerned daughter who regularly visits her mum, added: “I think of all the spaces within Veryan village it’s the most impractical – there’s only one road going in and out, there’s drainage issues as far as I’m aware. It’s happening everywhere, not just in Cornwall, that estates are being built with very little infrastructure as to how they will be supported.”

Georgie White’s young son Isaac has even written to Veryan Parish Council, saying: “Please don’t ruin an area of outstanding natural beauty – please do not wreck our wonderful fields with houses that are really not needed and ruining some lovely cows’ homes.”

She and others believe a site on Pendower Road, leading to the beaches, is more appropriate. Land at the former Churchtown Farm is owned by the council and is earmarked for housing. It sits next to a relatively new social housing development, Market Garden.

Georgie said: “It’s what we consider a brownfield site, rather than building on actual farmland. Numbers at the school are very low, more houses will bring young people into the village, but it has to be the right place, not an agricultural site which has ecological importance.”

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Pauline Whitaker added: “We feel that this field is a site of natural beauty. We are not against housing being built in Veryan at all, but we do feel there is an alternative site which is much more appropriate. We already have a beautiful site built by the council for social housing and there’s a farm right next to it which is owned by the council, which apparently is going to be built on eventually so why not build on that now?”

Jacs Bell said the other field at Churchtown Farm had better infrastructure: “It’s got most of the structure there already, the road’s not as crazy as this one, which is very dangerous. It’s a derelict site which is just dying up there and going to rack and ruin, there’s better drainage. ”

What would they say to people who would simply dub them NIMBYs who don’t want new houses being built near where they live?

“If people want to call me a NIMBY, that’s okay by me. I’m proud to be a NIMBY because I love open fields. I’ve come here because I want to be where it’s beautiful and open, where there’s fresh air and we can see the cows and birds. I want to save places like this because all over the UK, but more so in Cornwall, we are losing fields and I don’t want to lose this field,” said Jacs.

“I’m not going to apologise for being called a NIMBY. We don’t need to tarmac everywhere, and put drains and poles in everywhere. If people want to call me a NIMBY, I’ll put a little badge on, that’s fine by me. I’m happy to be a NIMBY and I’m sure all these ladies are too.”

Not all Veryan residents are against the proposals, however. Kirsten Skentelbery said: “I am a local resident who lives in social housing and am extremely grateful to have affordable housing and live in such a beautiful village.

“I have noted that most objections are related to the location of the proposed development and it has been suggested that development is made more along Pendower Road area where there is other social housing. I find this suggestion reads as though all social housing should be clumped into one area as if anyone who lives in affordable housing is unable to live peacefully among those who are fortunate enough to own their own property.

“Most households on the Homechoice register, specifically because of the recent housing crisis, are families who have had a Section 21 no-fault eviction and are having to rent properties at extortionate prices which are unaffordable. I know many locals who are in need of affordable housing who are either having to live outside of their area due to nowhere to rent or families living in the village or struggling to pay the high rents of their property. It is rather presumptuous to say there are no homeless in Veryan. The hidden homeless make up the largest group of homelessness.”

She added: “There have been comments about the lack of infrastructure in the village. I brought up three small children here using the bus service for all essential amenities for years. Without our younger generations, our community and infrastructure cannot continue. An expanding community of young people is essential to keep the school going, social clubs such as Veryan Players and the local shop to continue their business.”

Cornwall Council’s member for Veryan Cllr Julian German added: “Just this week, I have been contacted by a Veryan person on behalf of their family who are facing a no-fault eviction from their current residence. There is a strong need within Veryan parish for local needs housing, with 35 households on the Homechoice housing register. This proposal, if approved, would provide 13 new dwellings, all for people meeting the local connection criteria.

“I saw recent reporting of residents and Cornwall councillors concerns where rural exception sites are delivering as little as 50% local needs housing, one such scheme recently being approved at Blackwater. So, I’m really pleased that this proposal is 100% local need.”

The councillor said: “Government data shows that the average terraced house in Veryan sells for £380,483. This is way out of reach of local people working in jobs such as agriculture, care and hospitality but we absolutely need these people living in the community.”

There has been some criticism by the scheme’s opponents of Veryan Parish Council, which objected to the application in April, but has since changed its mind based on information provided by Cornwall Council on the housing need in the area.

Parish chairman Luke Dunstone said: “We pretty much echoed what the residents felt with our comments in April that if there was a need for social housing in Veryan again then the Market Garden area would be the most appropriate. However, both Cornwall Council and Cllr Julian German have a greater access to the indications of a need in the Veryan area and they felt it was appropriate for the site to be developed – it met all the criteria that they wanted.

“The number of people waiting on the housing list has grown quite considerably since the last development at Market Garden was done. Cornwall Council felt there was a need for the Coastline development and possibly another development at Market Garden again in the future. Obviously, the pressure is so great in Cornwall for housing – it’s always been a pressure in the Roseland.

“I started out on Carrick District Council in 1987 and we started doing social housing developments then in St Mawes, Veryan and Portscatho, so the Roseland generally has quite a good record for building social housing.”

Mr Dunstone added he was quite happy to call a parish meeting so residents could chat about the application, with a date to be finalised. The plans are likely to be discussed at committee level at Cornwall Council at a future meeting.