Plans to turn a former shop on Penryn's main street into a private home have raised no objections from the town's planning committee.

The owner of 70 Lower Market Street, formerly the Little Yellow House, wish to change the use from part residential, part commercial to residential as prospective buyers of the property were unable to get a mortgage due to its current designation.

In a planning statement, owner Lucy McCormick said the plans include installing a new kitchen to replace the existing shop kitchen, but "the open plan nature of the existing space will remain and no internal walls are planned."

She also said there would be "no alterations to the external parts of the property," however sketches from a previous application included in the planning documents show the installation of sash windows and reinstatement of a former portico.

Councillor Mark Snowdon said he remembered the "lovely portico" from before the painting of the Little Yellow House, and the disappearance of the mouldings had "always been a bit of a bug bear," adding that he was "very happy" if there were plans to put it back.

Councillor John Langan said while it was sad to see shops going, "at the end of the day, to be pragmatic, it was a shop. They didn't survive."

He said at one time it had been a dwelling, and "when all's said and done it could always be converted to a shop."

Mr Snowdon said it was "a difficult one" at a time when the council is hoping to rejuvenate the town centre, and warned it just needs "one wealthy guy to come along and buy up all the shops and turn them into homes."

He also said the old shop fronts that had already been turned into homes "don't look right."

Councillor Mary May said the owners could take the shop back to its old appearance "from any century" as long as they had the evidence that was how it used to look.

Councillor Rich Mitchell agreed that it was "a shame" that shops are closing, but said it was difficult for Penryn with out of town shopping and a "very difficult street" for shoppers, especially with parking.

He said: "It doesn't seem right to preserve it as a shop as it's never going to be a shop again."

Saying the house needed to be treated as such, he proposed no objections, which councillors supported.