ALLOCATING land in the Newport area of Launceston for housing would enable the creation of a Kensey Valley Link Road should a developer come forward to build there, local residents heard last week.

Representatives from Cornwall Council were quizzed by members of the public at a meeting of Launceston Town Council’s planning committee last Thursday. It came after rumours had circulated on social media that around 300 houses would be built on land in the Newport area of town — a claim dimsissed by Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin Adam Paynter.

He said:?“Clearly, we want the town to grow, develop, make sure there’s jobs. Part of that is to see what we can do down at Newport. It’s not 300 houses — that’s complete misinformation.

“This link road twice should have been funded and built by government funding. There is thought within the town that it’s badly needed. By allocating it for some form of development we could get the road built.”

After a query from one of the residents, town Cllr Rob Tremain said the link road, as far as they were aware, would go from Newport Industrial Estate through Kensey Valley, to the old A30.

Cllr Tremain introduced Cornwall Council planner Zoe Bernard-John, to present the proposals and outline ideas for Newport Industrial Estate.

Ms Bernard-John said she is looking at whether Kensey Valley should be included as a site allocation in the site allocations development plan document (DPD).

The allocations DPD, which will form part of Cornwall Council’s suite of planning documents under the umbrella of its Local Plan, looks at allocating sites for uses such as housing and employment, as well as protecting existing employment sites.

She said 1,800 houses are proposed for Launceston up until 2030, but added: “A fair amount of those houses have been planned for.

“My role is looking at where the remainder of the houses we planned for should be allocated.”

She said they are looking at allocating ‘approximately 70 houses with a link road’ at Kensey Valley.

She said the town council planning committee looking at it was the ‘first step’. It would then go out to public consultation by Cornwall Council — the meeting was not ‘the only window’ for residents to make their concerns and comments known, she said.

“I don’t want you going away thinking 300 houses are agreed for Kensey Valley. That is completely incorrect.”

Cllr Paynter added: “We could just let it go and let developers do what they want with it.”

If it is agreed that the area is allocated for housing in this way, one resident asked: “If a developer wants to put housing there they have to build a link road?”

“Yes,” Ms Bernard-Johns replied.

Referring to a transport strategy meeting in the town last month she added: “There was a feeling from the stakeholders of the town that the Kensey Valley link is a connection they wanted to see finished off.

“We would never get funding from central government to get that link. It’s high on the list of priorities to get the link road there. If we look at allocating land there we could bring forward the link road as part of the policy.”

Cllr Tremain added: “We have been thinking how to develop the link road and this is one possibility.”

Mayor Cllr Brian Hogan said: “All this is tonight is to give an option. It’s not an option we have to go with. Everybody will have their chance to have a say.”

Resident Emma Smith raised concerns about ‘clearance’ last autumn on land off Ridgegrove Hill, behind Kensey Valley Meadow estate.

Mrs Smith said: “I reported this incident to the Environment Agency, Cornwall Council’s own planning enforcement team and MP Scott Mann. Other than the Environment Agency, which could do nothing, I have had no response.”

Ms Bernard-John said the land ‘is not council land, it’s private land’. She said she had checked and could not see any planning applications lodged for that site.

Cllr Hogan said: “The land has been cleared. It’s private land. Quite possibly yes there might be an application — that application will have to go through a full process.”

Les Whaley from Stourscombe told the meeting he is on the committee of the medical centre: “My concern is extra houses will put burden on the health centre.”

Local resident Nick Toulson raised concerns about employment opportunities in the town.

John Andrew from Tregadillett said any housing development would be ‘great for people that want to come and live in Cornwall’, but added: “Where are they going to work? There is no work.”