Continual building of houses in gardens is spreading “like cancer” through Coverack.

This was the message from angry residents who were appalled to see yet another planning application for more houses in Coverack – this time for two detached homes in the grounds of Thornhill, between Bounder Treath and Mill Road at North Corner, on the main road into the village.

One resident said he had seen a noticeable increase in the ten years he had lived in the village, adding: “These garden developments are spoiling Coverack. It’s like cancer and it should be stopped.

“It’s a lovely coastal village and if this continues it will never be the same. It’s a crying shame.”

He was speaking at a well-attended meeting of St Keverne Parish Council, where a number of villagers pleaded with members to recommend the application be refused by Cornwall Council.

Another man said: “The fishing village from when I came here 40 years ago, it’s going down the pan. What people come here for, won’t be here for people to see. It will be more like a flipping town.”

One woman feared that extra housing would only increase problems with flooding. Acknowledging that July’s major flooding was an extreme case, she said many parts of the village had problems even in normal heavy rainfall and covering more ground with concrete would only exacerbate this.

“It’s not affordable housing. It will be for second time buyers – no local people will be able to afford them,” she added.

However, the applicant, from Drenbre Ltd, argued: “I think the flooding like this summer was a one-off act of God. We have done all things on the planning pre-app to make sure things are right.”

Cornwall Council’s highways department has given no objections, subject to certain conditions over surface water and visibility obstructions.

Planning history for the site shows originally there was an application for five houses on this site that was later withdrawn. Planning permission was later granted for two houses in the garden of the original property, in 2011 and 2013.

In March this year outline permission was granted for a third house on the grounds of Thornhill – and this has now been followed up with this latest full application, to double it to two further houses.

Councillor Bill Frisken said Coverack already had 127 homes not permanently lived in and the parish as a whole was already 20 homes over the required target for building in that area, set out in the Cornwall Local Plan.

He added: "This proposal is right near a blind corner in a narrow road, with no pavements for pedestrians either side."

Mr Frisken said if two further houses were allowed on that site "you'll have a higher building density than London."

Councillor David Lambrick described it as a "crazy situation," adding: "I just feel we did not allow it last time and we should vote against it this time."

It was agreed that the council should recommend refusal by Cornwall Council, on the grounds of overdevelopment and the fact it was already refused on that site previously.