PROPOSALS for the construction of between five and eight houses in Foxhole is currently being considered by Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Mr Cole is seeking Cornwall Council’s approval for the construction of between four and eight homes on land to the north of Creaz-An-Bre in Foxhole, a village near St Austell.

He is seeking what is known as a ‘permission in principle’ application which, if approved will form the basis of the finalised plans.

A Permission in Principle (PiP) is a streamlined, two-stage route for obtaining planning permission for minor housing-led developments in the United Kingdom. It separates the basic considerations of a proposed site (location, land use, and amount of development) from the detailed technical designs required later.

At the first stage, the local planning authority, in this instance Cornwall Council, assesses only if the fundamental concepts (the proposed location, how the land will be used, and the number of homes) are acceptable. Local authorities must typically decide on these applications within five weeks.

If this is granted, then permission to build cannot be granted until an approval of the technical details consent stage.

A previous application seeking a permission in principle was made in 2022, which was refused. A later appeal against the decision was also dismissed.

However, the applicant’s planning agent, Influence Planning, said that the changes in planning policy since then meant that the grounds for refusal previously stated were no longer valid.

They stated: “There has been a significant and overwhelming change in policy context since the previous refusal.

“A host of recent approvals, both at appeal and under delegated powers by Cornwall Council, will be referenced which helps explain the different assessment required for sustainably located residential sites such as this.”

They added further details of the proposal, continuing: “The proposal seeks to secure the principle of residential development on the land north of Creaz-An-Bre’ at Foxhole, Cornwall.

“There is an existing access point into the site from Creaz-An Bre to the south and this also serves the recently constructed properties in that area.

“The site is sustainable location for residential development at Foxhole, a short walking distance and easy access to the village shop, medical centre and primary school. The use of the site for a sustainable small scale residential development can be supported by the following planning policies and material considerations relevant to Cornwall.”

Detail was also offered as to why the plans should be approved. It said: “The proposal is being assessed in a totally different policy context than the 2022 planning in principle that was refused and dismissed at appeal in early 2024.

“In the new context this will be a positive use of the site developing on a parcel of land with good access to local services.

“Given Cornwall cannot demonstrate a five-year housing supply, the PiP development should be approved unless any adverse impacts would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”

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The plans can be viewed using reference PA26/05331 on the Cornwall Council planning portal.