Housing 'growing out of control' in village in Cornwall

The comment was made as councillors decided the fate of an application to build a further 40 homes in the village, which opponents argue has too little infrastructure to support the level of new housing.

Legacy Properties Ltd, a Cornish developer, had applied to build the 40 properties with landscaping and “associated infrastructure” on land at Chyvounder Farm, Newquay Road, at Goonhavern near Perranporth.

The council’s central area planning committee heard there was a housing need for 287 people / households in Perranzabuloe parish. In this application 23 of the 40 of the properties would be classed as affordable on what is considered a rural exception site [land that would not otherwise be granted permission for housing development].

The proposals had been recommended for approval by officers from the planning department and would be the second phase of a development of 30 houses by the same applicant, which were approved adjacent to the application site in 2021 and are now under construction.

The application was called before committee by local member Cllr Adrian Harvey as he shared concerns raised by the parish council that the proposal would lead to over-development in the open countryside on agricultural land. Cllr Harvey also had concerns that the village school is at capacity and would not be able to accept additional pupils, as well as fears that additional traffic would add to pressures on the A3075.

Cllr Frances White, representing Perranzabuloe Parish Council, said: “There is a lack of infrastructure to support the development. There would be too much pressure put on the capacity of Goonhavern School. It is at capacity – there are no doctors or dentists surgeries in Goonhavern.” She said a nearby junction was congested most days and “in the summer, it’s a car park”.

Where the 40 houses would be built in relation to the rest of Goonhavern (Pic: Cornwall Council)

Representing the applicant, Martin Woodley, of CAD Planning, said Legacy Properties Ltd has built 316 homes across Cornwall and, of those, 142 have been affordable. He said the development was a high quality design and compliant with policy.

Mr Woodley added there were the equivalent of 47 affordable homes which have permission in the parish, “so you can see there is still a shortfall in relation to the level of need”. He said there was a high degree of accessibility to local services and facilities, and noted there were only two public comments against the proposal.

The planning agent stressed there would be financial contributions to education and health care infrastructure, public open space and biodiversity net gain. The applicant was also working closely with the school to provide support for IT equipment, which is separate from the developer contribution.

“Since I was elected in 2017, Goonhavern has grown by 118 per cent,” said Cllr Harvey, listing how many houses had been built in the village since then. “If you pass this application Goonhavern will grow by 134 per cent.”

He added: “The school is full and that’s not taking into account two sites that are nearing completion, one of 30 properties and the other of 37. This application will block any chance of the school expanding. At some point in the future, the school will need to expand and would welcome land being gifted to the school to make that happen.”

Perranporth councillor Steve Arthur told the committee: “I won’t be supporting this. I think Goonhavern has done its fair share. There’s no infrastructure.

"The reason the village is getting busier and busier from a parish point of view is the knock-on effect of people leaving Perranporth because it’s unaffordable and moving to Goonhavern.”

Cllr John Martin added: “We’re desperately in need of housing, affordable or not, but I think Goonhavern has played its part in the last decade or so and probably played its part enough.”

Cllr John Fitter agreed: “Goonhavern’s had enough. It’s growing out of control and we, as members, need to control it.”

The application was unanimously refused on the grounds of scale and visual harm in relation to recent developments in Goonhavern.