TOWN councillors have generally welcomed a scheme to develop a housing estate close to the town centre in St Austell.

Developer Treveth, set up by Cornwall Council to provide housing in the county, is planning to build 78 homes and some commercial premises off Penwinnick Road where the headquarters of Restormel Borough Council once stood.

Emma Rogers, the head of land and planning for Treveth, briefed town councillors on the planning application submitted to Cornwall Council for the site.

Ms Rogers told councillors the commercial units proposed are flexible in size and can be split if necessary, and they will have apartments above them.

Councillors heard that because of viability issues there was no affordable housing proposed for the development at present though there had been positive discussions with Homes England about additional funding to deliver affordable housing should planning permission be granted.

Dominic O’Neil, another Treveth representative, told councillors that the site had been designed with affordable housing within it.

Councillors heard that the Environment Agency has concerns regarding flood risk and that there were also concerns regarding a potential adverse impact on the grade II listed Pondhu House and the loss of trees.

Ms Rogers said that Pondhu House, which is currently used by the town council, would be turned into six apartments, while the Stable Block at the site would become two mews cottages. These developments are subject to a separate planning application.

Town clerk David Pooley advised councillors that the planning application for the housing development was a much better proposal than the Cornwall Council planning brief presented to the town council a few years ago.

Following a discussion picking up on various issues, town councillors expressed the general view that the planning application should be supported as long as concerns raised about the proposals can be resolved.