Falmouth councillors have agreed to support their colleagues in Penryn by opposing plans to create a 2,000 bed student village between the Treluswell and Treliever roundabouts.

Developers Ocean Reach are behind the plans, which are being promoted independently of either Falmouth or Exeter Universities. As well as a mixture of town houses and flats, which would accommodate students from the first right through to third years, the scheme also proposes a budget hotel, a family pub/restaurant, sporting facilities and a park and ride.

Although the application site is way outside of Falmouth's boundary, it was deemed important enough and one which could have implications for the town, for its councillors to have a say. As such the proposals went before the town council's planning committee last week and after hearing Penryn councillors are opposing the scheme, Falmouth councillors soon followed suit.

Concerns were raised over the potential for flooding problems in the area to escalate if the green fields are concreted over, the loss of prime agricultural land and the loss of views, both when looking from above the site and from Falmouth.

Councillor Alan Jewell, himself a farmer, said: "It is grade three a or b land - that land should be kept for food production at all costs unless all the brown field sites have been used up. It is the best and most versatile land and it would be shame to lose that.

"They (the universities) have got permission on campus for 1,000 beds so if that is fulfilled they will not need this isolated village away from campus."

With regard to the loss of views, Councillor Rowenna Brock said: "From the river looking back, it would dramatically change the view from the estuary and the bay which can be seen from miles away."

Mrs Brock also asked whether it was premature to be looking at the application, as the extra accommodation will not be needed unless the a condition limiting the number of students permitted on campus is lifted this week. "As a council we have rejected the expansion of the university consistently," she said. "If we give our support to this we are almost condoning that (the expansion) and going back on what we have been fighting against.

"This is the right sort of accommodation for students, but we don't want any more students in Falmouth. If we say yes, it's like we are saying yes to having more students."

Councillor Steve Eva added: "If we are talking purely about the impact on Falmouth, then I would support this because it would be taking students out of Falmouth. But, we have agreed that if any extra student accommodation is to be built, it should be built on university land. They have enough of their own land to build these places on.

"We are a small town and it's about the balance. The balance is getting to the stage we are in the way of student accommodation and in the way of the university. They think they are so big they can do whatever they want but we have to draw the line somewhere.

"If this was going to be built on university land, then I could support it. When I heard Penryn Town Council have voted against it, I knew we should be supporting the council and supporting refusal."

The Falmouth committee is recommending refusal due to the flood risks, loss of view from the highway, the loss of high grade agricultural land and it is also felt the the application is not necessary and he need for accommodation should be reviewed after the Penryn campus extension development for 1,100 beds had been provided.