CONTENTIOUS plans to site storage containers at a Newquay nature reserve have unanimously been turned down.

Prow Park Business Village at Treloggan Industrial Estate had submitted a retrospective change of use of land for parking, storage and the siting of storage containers at Trencreek Meadows.

Residents of Bedowan Meadows and Trencreek are angered the owners of Prow Park removed trees and vegetation on the site during the bird nesting season from April 2022 onwards and installed around 20 storage containers and parked cars on the land without planning permission.

Cornwall Council’s central sub area planning committee turned down the planning application by nine votes to nil following concerns about the harm the development has on the land.

Campaigners have now reiterated their calls for Cornwall Council, which owns around 65 per cent of the land, to give it to the community so that the wildlife habitat can be restored.

Resident Andy Keast said: “It will make a difference that the council has turned down the application but it does not make a difference to the condition of the site.

“There is nothing stopping the applicant from appealing the decision or submitting another planning application. That is the worry.

“Until the council stops selling the land and gives it back to the community there is always going to be the risk of the land being destroyed, a part of which has already been destroyed.

“It’s an awful situation. Where we used to look out of our property there would be trees full of squirrels, there would be species of birds and deer. It was full of wildlife. All that has been chopped down and all we have as a view are shipping containers.

“The council’s planning enforcement officer previously stated they cannot do anything whilst there is a live planning application so now therefore, they should make the applicant put back what they have done.

“But Cornwall Council own 65 per cent of the land and they are desperate to sell it to the applicant, so they have had a vested interest throughout.”

Councillor John Fitter said: “Members were concerned with the harm that this type of development in this location would cause, mindful as they were that numerous residents expressed major concerns over the removal of the trees and vegetation from this site prior to the application being submitted.

“They were also made aware that part of the site remained in the ownership of Cornwall Council and noted that the application was objected to by Newquay Town Council.

“I made the point when speaking for refusal that the authority along with Newquay Town Council and the Prow Park owner need to jointly agree a master plan for this area, in part to avoid this type of conflict with neighbours.”