A builder who wanted to knock down a "dangerous" fire-damaged farmhouse and replace it with 32 new homes in an area said to be desperate for housing has lodged an appeal with the Secretary of State, after Cornwall Council refused his proposal.

Kevin Penrose applied to demolish Church View Farmhouse on Church View Road, Camborne, and replace it with the homes, which would include seven "affordable" properties, together with access, estate roads and landscaping/biodiversity net gain.

However, a planning committee refused the application in June on the grounds that the development was harmful to the character of the mining World Heritage Site in the nearby Tuckingmill area.

Councillors made their decision after hearing Historic England’s concerns that the demolition of the damaged farmhouse would lead to the loss of “heritage assets”.

However, a planning consultant representing Mr Penrose argues that the farmhouse is beyond repair and the construction of the new houses would help alleviate the housing crisis and provide much-needed affordable dwellings in Camborne, where there are 1,394 households on the housing waiting list.

The fire-damaged farmhouse which is said to be beyond repair and will have to be demolished Image: Cornwall Council

The fire-damaged farmhouse which is said to be beyond repair and will have to be demolished Image: Cornwall Council

Russell Dodge, of Business Location Services, has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate claiming councillors made the wrong decision, particularly around the heritage worth of the farmhouse.

His appeal report states: “Both the Local Planning Authority in its reason for refusal, and Historic England, have simply chosen to completely ignore the structural condition of the building and the conclusions of the Structural Survey Report in seeking to assume that the farmhouse and outbuildings can be retained.

“The key issue with the farmhouse, even if it had some structural integrity, is that the likely costs of any restoration are likely to greatly exceed its end value.

“The farmhouse has suffered extensive fire damage and has deteriorated further since the original Structural Appraisal Report was undertaken in 2022, such that in the updated Structural Appraisal Report July 2024 it is now deemed to be a dangerous structure. Given the fact that the farmhouse is beyond any economic repair, it is the appellant’s position that the designated heritage asset in reality has already been lost.”

The appeal adds that the site lies within a highly sustainable location for housing development and fully responds to the housing crisis by increasing the supply of housing and affordable housing need in Camborne.