Falmouth farmland homes plan is 'insanity' (From Falmouth Packet)

Falmouth farmland homes plan is 'insanity'

12:20pm Wednesday 5th December 2012 in News By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

The 300 homes would be built on a greenfield site to the west of Bickland Hill

Plans to build 300 homes on land opposite Falmouth Town Football Club were branded as “insanity” by one town councillor this week.

At a meeting of Falmouth Town Council’s planning committee on Monday, councillors vowed to stand by their colleagues on Budock Parish Council and fight the proposals, which would see new homes built on a 38 acre site at Lower Kergilliack Farm, off Bickland Water Road.

A map showing the area off of Bickland Hill where the new homes are planned:

Chair Diana Merrett said she thought developers Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey had “chosen the wrong area,” because they were proposing building on prime agricultural land that backs on to a busy and “dangerous road”.

“I’m not happy with it,” she said, “it’s going to cause a huge nightmare and more than one collision I reckon.”

Councillor Jenny Booth said the area was prone to flooding and traffic bottlenecks adding: “I think it’s insanity.”

A call to consult with Budock Parish Council was made by councillor Oliver Cramp, who said: “It’s a case of together we stand or divided we fall, so I think we want to be talking to them and find out what’s best.”

The committee resolved to hold fire with their response to county planners until Budock Parish Council hold their planning meeting on December 10.

Town clerk Mark Williams said councillors would also take a closer look at how the plans impact on existing infrastructure and fit with the “Falmouth and Penryn Framework Document,” currently being drawn up by Cornwall Council.