AROUND 30 people attended a public meeting in Dobwalls following the decision by a planning inspector to allow new houses on a greenfield site.

The proposed development at Treheath Farm had been the subject of several planning refusals, including a previous appeal by the land agent which had been dismissed.

Following the latest rejection of a scheme for housing on the land in April, a second appeal was lodged by T Murphy of Iconic Consultancy, and this time, the planning inspectorate granted the appeal, and ruled that outline permission for up to 24 houses was given.

The site falls outside the development boundary as set out in the draft Neighbourhood Plan for Dobwalls. For several years, local people have joined the parish council in objecting to proposals to develop here, citing the existing pressure on services, the lack of capacity at the village primary school, and the busy road as grounds for standing against the plans.

Residents attended Saturday’s meeting to hear what the parish council planned to do next.

The options for the council are now somewhat limited, said the chairman, Councillor John Dunn. There is no defined route of appeal against the planning inspector’s decision: a judicial review could be mounted, but would require evidence that the decision-making was flawed, would cost thousands, and still might not succeed, he explained.

“We’re obviously very disappointed that having been chucked out by the planning inspectorate previously, the plan has now been supported,” said Cllr Dunn.

“The public are angry and disappointed too, I think.

“Permission shouldn’t be granted if there is next to no space in the school. It’s not viable to build on the school site, there isn’t space.

“The road is busy, even when it’s not school time, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

“It doesn’t appear that common sense, or even the opinions of the village, plays any part in decisions that are made.”

Cllr Dunn said that Dobwalls had more than met its target of new houses and that the figures on the affordable housing required in the parish had increased and “seemed to be conjured out of thin air”.

He added that he believed another developer in the village had not been able to find a partner to fund the affordable element of its scheme, and that properties had been taken on by Cornwall Council .

Cllr Dunn felt though that all was not lost, as a lot needed to happen before houses could be built on the land: the agent would need to secure a developer, and several conditions included with the planning permission would need to be met.

He urged residents to support the Neighbourhood Plan when it comes to referendum (hopefully in mid 2022), as this, he said, would ensure that local priorities were given more weight when planning decisions are made.

“We’ll have to wait and see now I think what the content of a full application is. If it’s not right for the village, we will make our voices heard.”

Cornwall Councillor for Dobwalls Jane Pascoe said: “I support local residents and am disappointed that the second planning inspector allowed the appeal despite the application being refused by Cornwall Council, and dismissed by a previous Inspector. Clearly there were good planning reasons to refuse it, supported by nine policies in local and national planning guidance.”

“I have even heard from children about their sadness that they will build on the open fields where the cows live."

In his report, the inspector said that he could only give ’limited weight’ to the Dobwalls Neighbourhood Plan, as it has not yet been formally adopted.

It was frustrating, said Cllr Pascoe, that the plan had been held up due to the pandemic.

“I was keen to address the meeting and explain to the residents that it is of paramount importance to get the Plan completed and put out to a referendum in order to halt further development out into the countryside," she said.

“I am also troubled by the fact that our school is full and has no room for the village children and they will have to travel to other schools. In the last five years the village has taken delivery of approximately 250 new homes and the infrastructure is not adequate.”

“The Inspector has set out conditions to this outline permission and I will join with my Parish Council to be vigilant that these conditions will be met and that the promise of 100% affordably led Rural Exception site is adhered to and that the viability will not be an excuse to deliver free market homes."