St Erme will get an affordable homes development, despite residents, parish councillors and the area’s Cornwall councillor arguing the location is wrong.

A decision to allow Coastline housing association to build 36 new homes was made by Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee on Thursday, December 19.

The committee heard there are 83 families in the parish in need of housing, and that the homes – 21 for social rent and 15 shared ownership – would be a considerable boon to the area.

However, there is concern locally that building the houses in a field next to St Erme with Trispen Primary School would prevent the school being able to expand.

Parish chairman Bob Trethewey said his council advocated for affordable housing. “However, this application, while meeting the objective of affordable housing, does so at the considerable cost to our community.

“It jeopardises the wellbeing of our school, the integrity of our landscape and the safety of our highways, and it exacerbates existing flooding issues.”

“If the housing is approved, the school would be landlocked, unable to expand and the projected increase of 30 children will exacerbate the situation.”

Cllr Trethewey added: “It is such an emotive subject and there are people within our community who are crying out for affordable homes. I know that and I stand with them, but those who are against this application aren’t against affordable housing, they’re against that location.”

Jo Harley, representing not-for-profit housing association Coastline, told the planning committee housing options in the parish are currently very limited.

“There were seven properties for sale this week, of which only three were under £300,000, and three properties for rent on Rightmove. The turnover of existing affordable housing is very low, with only 29 new affordable homes being delivered in the parish in the last ten years. There are few options for the 83 families on the Homechoice list.”

She said Coastline had consulted the school and allocated outside space for a play area in line with its needs. She said there was no plan for a second phase of housing in the same field, a concern raised by some residents.

Cornwall councillor Karen Glasson supported the parish council’s opposition to the plan. She said: “I spoke to the school’s head this morning and she does have concerns about the strip of land. That is not enough land to allow for expansion of the school.”

She added that the head was also “quite worried” about traffic access along the single-track road, with walking access for children living in the new houses considered unsafe.

However, the meeting heard that, according to the local education authority (LEA), the school has no intentions of expanding.

Committee member Cllr Nick Craker said he had sympathy with local councils as neighbourhood plans will be out of date due to the Labour government’s new planning rules to increase house building across the country.

He proposed the application be approved. The majority of the committee agreed and a vote to approve was won by eight votes in favour with one abstention and none against.