CONSTRUCTION work is due to start imminently on land at Dudman Farm in Truro, which was acquired by Wain Homes SW Ltd earlier this year.

The housebuilder plans to deliver 274 new energy-efficient homes, of which 90 are designated as affordable.

The land is south-west of the city centre and close to the Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske), with panoramic views across open countryside. The proposed scheme will deliver one- to four-bedroom homes set in two distinct east and west areas divided by a picturesque valley.

As part of the development agreement, Wain Homes will contribute £2.3m to the local community through education, health and transport provisions.

Land and planning director Mark Harding said Dudman Farm, Wain Homes’ first development in Truro since 2013, represented “an incredibly important land acquisition” for the company, giving it “a very strong foothold in a prime market in Truro”.

He added: “Due to its topography, the development has been a complicated project and I am pleased the social and economic benefits of the scheme have been realised, enabling us to make a significant contribution to desired housing supply.”

An online petition opposing the development, which went before Cornwall Council’s planning committee in July, received over 1,000 signatures, while the revised proposals on Cornwall Council’s online planning portal drew comments from members of the public decrying the plans as “utter madness” and “monstrous”.