TOWN councillors have supported a planning application for a new housing estate at Launceston, but have raised concerns about overall access to the site.

The application discussed at Launceston Town Council’s planning and economic development committee last Thursday was for 118 dwellings at Withnoe, off Tavistock Road, south of Stourscombe and adjacent to the Hay Common site, which has consent for a mixed use development, including housing and a new primary school.

The Post previously reported that Wainhomes’ planning application for 129 homes on the same site, was approved with conditions by Cornwall Council at the end of May.

The developers redesigned the application with fewer homes, which was submitted to Cornwall Council towards the end of last year.

At the planning meeting, town councillors queried not only vehicular access to the site, and how a new roundabout due to be built would affect this, but also ‘non car based access’ for pedestrians and cyclists.

Cllr Roger Creagh-Osborne, while acknowledging the plans showed a ‘possible pedestrian access’ through to the adjacent Hay Common site, ‘then presumably into Hurdon’, added: “But in terms of coming out to Tesco or the quickest way down to town, what are we supposed to do? There’s got to be some works to happen to facilitate pedestrian and cycling access.

“We have got to look at something like section 106 monies to put in crossing facilities.”

Deputy clerk Frances Nally said she had not found out if a 106 agreement for the site had been signed. She added: “All we can do is have a wish-list and ask for things.”

Cllr Creagh-Osborne added there ‘has got to be pedestrian access’ for children from the nearby Stourscombe estate to attend the new school: “There has got to be something like a footbridge. There has got to be provision to put in a footway. Also, to keep cyclists away from the busy road.

“We need to see the plan for the support network for both estates [Withnoe and Hay Common].”

Cllr John Harris agreed, saying: “We can’t look at it in isolation really.”

Cllr Creagh-Osborne summed up: “My concern is vehicular and, crucially, non-vehicular access to this site.”

Cllr Margaret Young queried how children would walk to the town’s college, Cllr Harris added: “They have got to be able to walk there in safety.”

Cllr Tremain said the plans ‘doesn’t say a lot about the access’, and Ms Nally said she ‘hadn’t seen’ a traffic survey as part of the plans, but would check if Wainhomes had submitted one.

Of the make-up of the new estate, Ms Nally said the plans are for eleven two-bed affordable to rent, 12 affordable intermediate two-bed, eleven affordable intermediate three-bed, 42 three-bed private, 38 four-bed private and four five-bed private properties.

She added: “A question we maybe should consider is is there demand for any four bed houses in that affordable category? I don’t know the answer at this moment. Equally, should we question the mix?”

Cllr John Harris said he would make some enquiries as to housing need for the larger sized homes.

He added: “There will always be a need but how much of a need, I don’t know.”

Cllr Roger Creagh-Osborne questioned why the affordable to rent are ‘all two beds, no three beds’, and Cllr Harris replied: “Three beds aren’t in such small supply.”

The design of the homes was also discussed. Cllr Tremain said: “There seems to be more rendering and painting than stone. Do we deserve a bit more stone work?”

Cllr Creagh-Osborne put forward a suggestion that some of the more visible fronts from the outside ‘should be slate-hung’.

Cllr Dave Gordon added: “My point of view is they are not very attractive but somebody will buy them.”

Cllr Rob Tremain said the site runs ‘downhill steeply’: “We were concerned regarding flooding at Lowly Brook down at Tregala.”

Referring to the plans, he added: “They showed areas for water run-off. Hopefully we won’t end up like Derbyshire and wherever. That has been taken on board.”

Cllr John Harris said he hoped the bigger trees would be retained to take up the water.

Cllr Tremain said the plans included a ‘detailed’ tree report, identifying 26 individual trees, and added: “If some are removed they have to replace them but we don’t know really which trees are being removed and which aren’t at this stage.”

Cllr Creagh-Osborne suggested they put forward to the developers that local trees should be used on site.

The clerk said she would feedback their comments to Cornwall Council.

The final decision on the application will be taken by Cornwall Council.