Plan for luxury homes on Pendennis Headland (From Falmouth Packet)

Plan for luxury homes on Pendennis Headland

7:00am Thursday 17th January 2013 in News

PRELIMINARY proposals to build luxury houses on part of Pendennis Headland next to the docks in Falmouth have been drawn up, with developers claiming it is the only viable use for the contaminated site.

CSA architects are seeking pre-application advice from Cornwall Council on behalf of Westcountry Land in relation to the proposed development of the site at Middle Point which currently houses oil tanks.

The proposal being mooted includes the demolition of the tank facility, the removal of contaminated material and the construction of 14 luxury detached houses with parking which would only be visible from the sea and St Mawes.

Last year Devington Homes revealed an aspiration to build 134 apartments and penthouses on the same site and though no formal planning application materialised, the suggestion prompted strong opposition from local residents.

News of the latest development has been met with dismay by one local councillor who believes residents will rally against the proposal. “Any building up there is going to raise a lot of public opinion against it,” said Councillor David Sterratt. “Most people in Falmouth just think the Point is a no-go area as far as building is concerned. Once they have started building there, how long before they move on? They are not going to be happy until they have concreted Falmouth over.”

The site has been a major oil tank storage facility since the 1940s, but this operation is due to come to an end next year. This use has led to major contamination of the site and the immediate environs which will cost between £2.5 and £3.8million to fully remediate.

Westcountry Land say industrial and commercial marine uses for the site have been explored, but these would not create enough revenue to pay for full scale remediation. There are, it is claimed, significant site constraints which limit the potential alternative uses to generate a value high enough to implement the remediation works.

Justin Dodge, director of Westcountry Land, told the Packet: “We don’t think people realise the serious underlying issues relating to this site. As a local person I use the Carrick Roads regularly with my family and I was appalled to learn of the pollution of the water related to this facility. I am even more concerned that the pollution will continue after the closure of the facility next year.

“Therefore, I feel privileged to be able to put forward a long-term solution for this land which, in our opinion, will significantly improve the quality of the existing site and vitally, will provide full remediation. It is important to state that we have not submitted any planning application, these are only preliminary proposals. We will conduct a formal public consultation and engage stakeholders before we submit any planning application.

“We believe there is a strong justification for the redevelopment of this contaminated brownfield site and that this is the best solution for the long term future use of the site. A small-scale scheme of only 14 distinctive, bespoke family homes offers the most appropriate form of re-development to pro-actively address the site issues and constraints, to deliver a scheme of lasting quality.”

Cornwall Council has yet to respond to the pre-application inquiry.

n Full details of the preliminary proposals can be found at www.cornwall.gov.uk by searching the planning register for PA12/03572/PREAPP.