OUTLINE plans to build two new homes in St Mellion have been refused by the local planning authority.

The application from the Hammond family concerned a proposal for an unused field adjacent to Church Park.

The plot is outside the considered boundary of the village, said planning officer George Shirley, and therefore the proposal would not represent either a rounding-off of or infill within the existing settlement.

The grounds given for refusal went on to state that the new houses would “visually extend built form into the open countryside, eroding the character and appearance of the rural setting and the Area of Great Landscape Value.” The application received 10 public comments online, seven of which were favourable and three in objection.

St Mellion Parish Council stated that the proposal was to be commended for having set out to address concerns raised during a previous application relating to the site.

The reduction to two houses from as many as 12 was preferred. However there remained concerns over the siting of the houses, the future integrity of the village boundary, and privacy.

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After discussion, and a proposal from one member to support the application, it was decided by three votes to two to put in an objection to the scheme.