A FORMER iron foundry could become the site of 19 new houses.

The East Cornwall Iron Works began life as the St Germans Foundry in around 1840, and work continued at the busy industrial site until 1968.

Part of the area continued to be used as a galvanising plant until the later 1990s, but it has been little used since, says planning agent Whitehead Planning. All the buildings associated with the site’s former industrial used have been demolished, and what remains is an area of land with hard surfacing and some remnant structures and roadways.

Now, landowner E Harrison hopes to build 19 homes on the land, which lies to the south of the main A374 through the village, behind the pub and existing houses. More than a third of the houses would be affordable, says the applicant.

An outline planning application has been submitted to Cornwall Council , and while the type of housing and design would form part of a later, reserved matters application, the applicant states that he would intend to build a mixture of terraced and semi detached houses as well as a black of six flats.

Access to the new development would be via the site’s two existing entrances.

To find out more visit Cornwall Council’s planning website and use the reference PA17/12198.