It’s heartening to see planners starting to use our new emerging planning allocations documents, finally starting to address the problems of affordable housing in our towns.

Or at least, that’s what I thought when I saw plans for around 300 homes to be built on ‘North Falmouth’ next to Ponsharden. Surely a new development on a suitable site would be the best way to get the most out of the limited land we have without encroaching on any naturally beautiful areas.

But then I saw the figures. It may be sensible and agreeable to not build over three storeys, but surely having a development which is two-thirds detached or semi-detached to one-third terrace and flats is not the most efficient use of land space, and hardly best for first time buyers.

While I am sure the landowners, in this case the church, have nothing but good intentions in putting roofs over the heads of our local community, to the uninitiated this could appear a little different.

A cynic might see this as another attempt to maximise developer profits with as little valuable ground as possible ceded to those truly in need.

It’s early days, but we have to hope this earmarked land will not become another example of developer led greed, of the sort that has seen affordable housing targets reduced, and still rarely met.

We can only keep our fingers crossed - like a housebuilder signing a section 106 agreement.