PLANS for up to 79 dwellings in Launceston have been objected to by the town council.

Outline planning permission is being sought from Cornwall Council for a development of 79 dwellings — up to 24 affordable — on land west of Newton House, Tavistock Road. Details of scale, layout, appearance and landscaping reserved.

Although Cornwall Council has the final say on whether the application will receive planning permission, the town council can comment as a statutory consultee.

The application came before the town council at a meeting of its planning and economic development committee on October 4.

At the meeting, the committee objected to the application, raising highways concerns, as it said the site is on a bend with poor visibility splays.

The committee claimed the proposal amounts to ‘ad hoc’ development, that the site is designated as a flood risk, and that ‘despite previous requests from the council no information is contained or shown for a roundabout’.

The committee has also raised concerns that there is no pedestrian footway to access the site, it said the site is separate from and shows no consideration to linking with current new development adjacent to and neighbouring the site, the proposal represents ‘over intensive development’ and is not in keeping with planning policy LAU-H1 of the Cornwall Site Allocations Development Plan. 

It also said there is no space allocated for the proposed southern loop road on the plans. The Post understands this road it would link the A388, Tavistock Road to the Link Road and would be constructed in stages as land is developed in the future.

The application is by Westcountry Land, and a design and access statement submitted to Cornwall Council states: “The site is appropriate for residential development, as it is an allocated site in the draft SADPD (Site Allocations Development Plan Document).

“This outline planning application for the erection of 79 dwellings is an appropriately sized scheme for the town and has been brought forward to address the local housing need in accordance with the SADPD. The proposal represents a modest scale of development, in line with the settlement pattern of the existing town and will deliver 30%, policy compliant levels of affordable housing, making a significant contribution towards the need for this area.”