The company behind the HX1 housing development in the north of Helston has put in a bid to expand by 110 homes.

Permission was granted last August to build 340 homes at Trenethick and now D2 Planning Ltd hopes to increase that to 450 homes. Of these, 30 per cent would be classed as affordable - although this is an overall percentage reduction on the original application, which would have seen 40 per cent affordable.

Also included in the latest plan, submitted for outline permission, is a commercial building made up of 650 square metres of office space and a 450 square metre medical centre.

Documents accompanying the new planning application state the homes would be a mixture of one-bed flats through to four-bed detached houses, with the majority being two-storey and some three-storey.

Responding to concerns raised previously about the flood risk, it states: "The vast majority of the site is in flood zone one, where residential development is acceptable."

It adds that soakaways across the site would also be used.

The new plan speaks about connecting Rowes Lane from the north, into the bypass, which would make it possible to downgrade the lane into a cycleway, footpath and bridleway, stopping it up where it joins the A394.

The original application was controversial with neighbours, but was eventually approved when the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol overruled Cornwall Council's objections, after the authority failed to meet the deadline for a decision on the matter.

This latest bid to expand is proving just as contentious, with nine letters of objection posted on the Cornwall Council website in the last week.

Peter Hadfield described the proposed density of housing as "inappropriate" for the rural area and objected to the inclusion of three-storey buildings.

He was also against the percentage reduction of affordable homes and had concerns that the access onto the A394 would be "inadequate, and therefore unsafe," particularly at peak times.

Mr Hadfield feared the relocation of so-called "gateway buildings" to the north east corner of the site would be a "precursor to further industrial development," beyond the currently agreed boundary.

Mark Houston agreed: "Squeezing more houses into the area is just a money grabbing exercise and does not consider the wider environmental impact.

"Don't let these 'urban extensions' become another rabbit warren with insufficient off road parking, no decent gardens or other green spaces and narrow roads, just like Bosnoweth and Acres Edge, which are overdeveloped sites."

People have until this Tuesday (February 9) to make their feelings known, ahead of Cornwall Council's decision deadline of April 15.