Budock Parish Council is opposing plans which would see a new housing estate built on its doorstep, to the delight of the 40 people who attended a planning meeting in the village last week.

Midas Commercial Developments is seeking outline planning permission for the scheme which would see 154 new homes, 62 of them affordable, along with an area of open space and parking on Poolfield, off Bickland Water Road.

Budock’s planning committee debated the issue last week, but were disappointed when developers’ representatives, Russell and Justin Dodge, and Cornwall Council’s case officer, Hollie Nicholls, failed to attend.

The parish council’s chairman, John Bastin, said: “This was seen as an affront by Budock councillors in as much as they had turned out for Falmouth (council) but were not prepared to do so for Budock PC even though 90 per cent of the application was to use Budock land. We can only hope the Cornwall Councillors will pay head to the message being sent by the local community when this goes to committee next spring.”

The Budock councillors are recommending the application be refused because of the loss of public amenity and the loss of grade two agricultural land.

They are also concerned about the increased traffic load on Bickland Water Road and the implications this would have for pedestrian safety, particularly in relation to children at nearby St Francis School.