PLANS to build 30 new homes on land near Bude have been approved by Cornwall Council.

The application submitted by Trewin Design Architects has presented plans for up to 30 new homes on land along Poughill Road, which spans an area of approximately 3.17 hectares.

Plans (PA25/00379) state that the developer aims to provide ‘high-quality design delivering a mix of housing integrated into the existing community’, ‘a range of best practice energy and environmental features, drawing on current and future technologies’, and ‘an urban grain with on street activity, safe and secure residential environments with well-integrated private amenity spaces and parking facilities providing a positive contribution to the area’.

The applicant has explained that on completion, the development will provide ‘high quality living accommodation, complementing its setting and contributing to the success of the local area, with the idea of creating a sense of community and space with privacy, security and wellbeing of the occupiers taken into consideration.’

However, despite being approved conditionally by Cornwall Council, the application has attracted a number of objections from local people.

One residents wrote: “I strongly object to this planning application. There has already been an eyesore of a development built one side of Beulah which is completely out of keeping.

“The road that runs from Flexbury up through Poughill has got busier and busier over the last few years as it has become a bit of a rat run for locals avoiding the town traffic (exasperated by multiple roadworks!). The hedges aren't maintained so the traffic calming bollard sited just above this proposed development has become even more hazardous. The road beyond that is not much wider than a single road up through the village of Poughill and the road surface is shocking in places. This development would increase the traffic through the village even more.

“The houses on the right hand side of Poughill Road have slowly been losing all the green space in front of them.”

Another added: “I can only think this application is based on greed of the land owner, there are absolutely no positive reasons for yet more houses.

“The access point to this site is on a blind bend on the minor road linking Bude to Poughill, it constantly has water from the natural spring, flowing down the footpath and on to the road.

“There is virtually zero employment in Bude, other than summer jobs which are normally filled using word of mouth or 'our' returning university students. Unless Ford are about to open a new factory, where are the new owners going to work to be able to afford to pay the mortgages?”

However, the council’s planning authority has given the go ahead for the development should it meet a number of conditions. These conditions include the submission of details of its appearance, landscaping, layout and scale, the appropriate inclusion of a surface water drainage systems, and the submission and approval of a scheme for the protection of retained trees within the area.