A SITE formerly occupied by a donkey park in Gunnislake could be demolished and replaced with 84 houses.

Greenacres Country Park Ltd has submitted a pre-application advice enquiry to seek the council’s views on the likelihood of its plans to demolish the structures at the former Tamar Valley Donkey Park in St Ann’s Chapel, Gunnislake and its replacement in the form of 84 homes being approved if it went to a full application.

The applicant’s planning agent, Pegasus Group Ltd told Cornwall Council: “The site has become available for development following the retirement of the previous operators and closure of the business at the end of the 2025 tourist season.

“The description of development is currently as follows: "Outline application with details of access and all other matters reserved for residential dwellings, public open space and associated infrastructure"

The applicant is seeking Cornwall Council’s planning team’s views on whether the principle of residential development on the site is acceptable, feedback on the requirements for highways access to the site, validation requirements and to agree a staged programme of work under the planning performance agreement in order to advance a future planning application.

The applicant’s planning agent also stated: “The site consists of a centrally located complex of low-rise buildings, including an associated dwelling to the north-west, a large barn and a nearby group of trees. This is surrounded by a series of paddocks with a gravel car park located to the south-western corner of the site. The land is enclosed by a series of mature vegetated boundaries.

“The site benefits from two. access points served from the unnamed road to the west. with the southern of these providing access to the aforementioned car park.

“The south-eastern area of the former donkey park is intentionally excluded from the site within the blue edge due to consisting of higher value grassland not suitable for development.

“Its exclusion from the red-line prevents an over representation of the biodiversity net gain baseline where its development is not sought. The site encloses the residential property of The Cables, a bungalow with roof accommodation. A range of single and two storey detached residential properties are located to the north, with woodland to the south.”

The concept plan for the site would see 84 dwellings developed across an area of 1.67 hectares with the site layout showing development to the northern part of the site with public open space to the north east and north west of the site. This, according to the proposals will reflect the existing green infrastructure as well as existing utilities constraints.

The existing car park would be repurposed as a drainage attenuation facility.

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The full proposals can be viewed on the Cornwall Council planning portal under reference PA26/00752/PREAPP.