The Methodist church has been supported in its plan to build a house on land it owns in Porthleven.

The Lizard and Mount’s Bay Methodist Circuit is applying for outline planning permission for a house in the garden of Boslan in Torleven Road.

Architect Kevin Moseley told a meeting of Porthleven Town Council that a previous application, from a different firm acting on behalf of the church, was “rightly refused” by Cornwall Council due to “a number of issues of detail that were unacceptable,” including loss of privacy and poor access proposal.

This time the church was initially only looking for support for the principle of building a house there, with the details to be determined in a separate application depending on the success of these initial enquiries.

Speaking on behalf of circuit ministers Rev Danny Reed and Rev Beverly Turner, who attended last week’s meeting, Mr Moseley said: “Because they’re a charity they have a legal duty to ensure they make the best of their assets.

“With the previous application we feel it wasn’t the principle that was wrong but the details they got wrong.”

Mr Moseley explained that this time it was proposed to create access onto Bickford Crescent, rather than Torleven Road, with parking provided for four vehicles – two for the existing house Boslan and two for the new property.

He described the current access to Boslan as “absolutely hopeless,” with cars having to reverse in and out next to a roundabout, and this change would resolve that “clearly dangerous” situation.

There would be no windows facing Boslan, to avoid a problem with overlooking.

Councillors described the location as a “busy corner” due to the close proximity to the school, with new councillor Trevor Toms fearing it would “get awfully busy” – although mayor Barbara Powell believed: “The alternative is worse.”

Deputy mayor Andrew Wallis said with no loss of space he did not believe Cornwall Council’s highways department would have a problem, but he asked that any loss of foliage be replaced.

Members agreed to support the principle of a development, with Ms Powell describing the plot as a long garden that “does seem ripe for development.”