Residents fighting plans to |develop the green space at Bosvale in Falmouth are delighted after town councillors backed their calls to protect the area and have recommended the scheme be rejected by Cornwall Council.

The site is owned by Falmouth Rotary Club which has agreed to donate the area for the proposed community-centred development. This includes the Abbeyfield Society’s plans to build 75 extra care flats for the elderly along with a new community centre for the Bosvale Community Association.

The scheme, though, has attracted opposition from many residents living in the area who had, unsuccessfully, applied to have the area designated as a village green. When Abbeyfield’s application was debated by Falmouth Town Council’s planning committee on Monday evening, several residents attended and two spoke out against it.

Kathryn Philpott said: “The impact of yet more development, is completely abhorrent to the residents that live here. We have been |surrounded by dumpers, diggers, rock breakers, |generators and swing shovel machines as they proceed to build 400 houses almost in our back yards.

“The dust, noise and not to mention our properties cracking, have been the least of our worries as we see more and more houses being built with no regard to the infrastructure such as schooling, roads and parking, all of which are becoming an increasing problem in this area.”

Concerns were also raised over the proposed access to the new development and the impact this would have on |existing residents’ parking and safety.

Representing the residents, Councillor Trish Minson added: “Most |people I have |spoken to do object to the field being used for development because they see it as an amenity, not just an open space.

“It is used by dozens of people from early in the morning to late in the evening for a variety of purposes.”

When debating the application, Councillor Rowenna Brock, said: “It’s difficult to find planning reasons to turn this down, but I like everyone around this table was voted in to voice the |opinions of people in Falmouth and therefore I will not be supporting it.

“We are not anti-development, in fact we are actually quite a pro-development council, but this is the only field for a lot of people living at that end of Boslowick.”

Councillor Alan Jewell said: “Every bit of green space we have seems to be under pressure. I think we have grounds to turn this down on scale and massing of the building.

“It is going to have a serious impact on the surrounding area. I just think this is one step too far.”

The committee unanimously agreed to recommend Cornwall Council refuse the application claiming, due to its scale and mass, it would be overbearing. Councillors are also concerned about the loss of amenity space.