A proposal to build up to 35 new homes opposite a village school has led to concerns over road safety by residents and the local Cornwall councillor.  

Questions have also been asked about the amount of affordable homes offered as part of the development near Truro. 

Applicants A and J Warne have applied to Cornwall Council for outline permission with all matters reserved for the dwellings with a minimum of 50 per cent affordable homes on land opposite Grampound Road School on South Street in the village. 

The proposal – which indicates a mix of 17 open market and 18 affordable homes – has been recommended for approval, but has been called to planning committee at the request of the divisional member Karen Glasson due to concerns regarding drainage and highway safety. 

Planning officer Jeremy Content said: “The principle of an affordable housing led development is acceptable at this site and would be seen more in the context of the settlement rather than an intrusion into the countryside. 

“The scheme would need to deliver a minimum of 50 per cent affordable homes against a current need for local affordable dwellings, which is a significant benefit of the scheme and responds to the council’s declared housing crisis.  A safe and suitable access can be achieved and traffic speed reduction measures and standard conditions for construction activity are proposed to minimise impacts on neighbours.” 

However, Mr Content notes that drainage is an issue that needs particular attention due to raised groundwater. The local flood authority team has recommended planning conditions to ensure that a satisfactory drainage solution is provided. 

Ladock Parish Council has objected to the application, stating: “The proposed development is on a rural exception site and ‘the policy outlines that schemes should endeavour to provide 100 per cent affordable homes, however this can decrease depending on the viability of the proposal, with a minimum of 50 per cent affordable homes’. This proposal indicates that only 50 per cent will be affordable which is not acceptable to the parish council.” 

Cornwall Council’s affordable housing team suggested the housing mix should include “70 per cent affordable rent and 30 per cent shared ownership”. Highways says it can’t support the application “without measures to address the deviation in visibility splays from the recorded road speeds and footway provision to the school”. 

A number of villagers have raised concerns about road safety on the council’s planning portal. 

Abigail Catherall, who has a young family, said safety in Grampound Road has been “a continuous problem in the past year – there has been a young child knocked down resulting in the air ambulance [and] either side of the village the road has been closed due to serious accidents. 

“The proposed site is at a particularly dangerous part of the village for both pedestrians and vehicles. This is due to vehicles turning into industrial estates which again will increase with [an] egg factory development. Another factor is a non-existent pavement along with a very narrow area of pavement so much so we cannot fit the pram and have to walk in the road.” 

Kezia Bennett also has concerns about the road. “The clue is in the name of our village. It has grown around the road and the use of the road has grown exponentially in the last decade and is unlikely to slow down with the addition of 36 homes at Windmill Hill and a new egg packing factory being developed on the seven-acre site just down the road from the proposed development. 

“This will bring even more heavy goods vehicles thundering along the road each day and now yet another proposed 35 homes all with at least one car, many with two or more. The village is centred around a busy road with no traffic calming measures currently in place and with inadequate paving in places where the road is most dangerous.” 

However, not everyone in the area is against the plans. Scott Moran wrote: “I would highly support this proposal. The number of affordable housing options in the village are very low and even with the the current proposal at Windmill Hill, there still will not be enough affordable housing for locals looking to get on the property ladder as Windmill Hill is more rent-based. 

“The location of the development would have no real effect on traffic to the village as it is before any other housing starts. All main services, such as doctors, are located outside of the village, so there are no real drain on resources.” 

Others, such as Tim Hawkins, felt if the development was approved there should be a larger affordable element for local people: “My strongest objection is the sneaky 50 per cent affordable. Should be closer to 80-90 per cent and not just affordable because they are 10 per cent lower than market value which in the current climate is totally unaffordable for most people. The houses need to be in a proper scheme or association with affordability for perpetuity.” 

The application will be discussed by Cornwall Council’s central sub-area planning committee on Monday.