Plans by two neighbours to build new homes side by side at the bottom of their gardens have been given the go ahead.

Robert and Judith Haycock, and David Lewis, applied for outline planning permission for a house to be built at the bottom of each of their gardens.

The land is off Godolphin Road, next to a section of wall that collapsed towards the end of last year, and will be cut back to build the houses at street level.

Last week Cornwall Council gave conditional approval to the outline plans, with a further planning application now needed to determine the details.

Conditions for both schemes include no work starting until the council has agreed on designs for a crossing over the kennel that runs along the side of the road, to enable cars to reach a double driveway that the two houses will share.

A system to get rid of surface water on both sites must also be agreed before building can begin.

The two applications have been supported by the town council but have been a source of concern for some neighbouring residents.

They include John Trevaskis, who at a meeting of the town council earlier this year reminded members the site was within the conservation area and the wall that will need to come down to allow building to take place had been holding up land 15ft above Godolphin Road for over 100 years.

Nesta Birch, who lives directly opposite the proposed development site, told the council she feared that two new houses would overshadow her house, blocking sunlight and taking away her privacy, while other concerns were raised about the effect on traffic using the busy road while the building work was carried out.

Despite Ronnie Williams was the only councillor who voted against the developments, as no geological survey had been carried out.

One of the applicants, Mr Lewis, has previously spoken of his fears over the safety of the existing wall at the end of his garden, which would come out to make way for the properties.

He said: “This wall is coming to the end of its life. It’s only earth, there’s nothing behind it, no substance. The wall, we think, is a liability.”

One wall has already collapsed, next door, after the owners cleared away brambles and vegetation.