THE owner of a farm which has been the home of established Bodmin moor business has submitted proposals for the use of some of the land to benefit others in the community.

Kevin Foster, the owner of Brake Farm near St Breward has sought Cornwall Council’s advice on his proposal to build a ‘multi generational’ community comprising of houses specifically built for elderly local people to move into alongside starter homes for people starting their journey on the housing ladder.

His planning agent stated: “Older residents often wish to stay in the parish, close to friends and family, but struggle to manage large family homes.

The proposal is to create a small, designed community for intergenerational living. This will be for residents aged 55+: single-storey, 1-or-2-bedroom dwellings in a safe environment, designed for later life living. These would be designed to allow for future adaptations as needs change.

For Local Young People, a smaller group of “starter homes” for those with local connections to St Breward (in line with Cornwall Council guidelines) are proposed. In order to bring residents together to live, share skills, and support one another, the proposal could also include shared community spaces such as an enclosed community hub, garden, wildlife walks, small allotments for residents.

“It is envisaged that the management of the site to be operated by Committee with the land under a Community Land Trust operating under a Charity.”

Responding to Mr Foster’s proposal, Cornwall Council’s planning department stated: “On balance, the proposal is considered to have a reasonable prospect of being acceptable in principle. The redevelopment of a site that is partly previously developed land would bring a number of benefits, including the delivery of additional housing at a time when Cornwall Council cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, together with the provision of a small community hub.

“The proposal would therefore contribute towards identified housing needs and provide social and community benefits.

“These benefits must be weighed against the fact that the site lies outside the main built form of St Breward and would not fully accord with the settlement-focused approach of Policies 3 and 7 of the Cornwall Local Plan.

“The site's rural location and limited accessibility by sustainable transport are also factors weighing against the proposal. However, the site is physically related to the wider settlement pattern of St Breward, is not considered isolated in planning terms, and national policy supports the redevelopment of previously developed land and the delivery of housing where there is an identified unmet need.

“Subject to the scale of development remaining proportionate, with development focused primarily within the existing developed footprint, and subject to acceptable outcomes in relation to design, landscape, highways, ecology, drainage and other technical matters, these considerations are considered capable of outweighing the policy conflict.

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“It is therefore considered that a carefully designed scheme of up to nine dwellings together with a modest community facility could be supported in principle, with the acceptability of any future application ultimately dependent upon the detailed design and supporting technical assessments”