An extra 150 homes on land in Penryn would not raise "significant" concerns over the amount of traffic using Hill Head, according to Cornwall Council's highways team.

 

Last month Penryn Town Council raised no objection to plans by Walker Developments to build a new estate at land in College Valley, between College Hill and the Falmouth branch line, the Penryn bypass and Hill Head, following a delay while a detailed traffic report was submitted to the planning department.

 

Town councillors did, however, raise concerns in regard to access of the site and large vehicular usage of Hill Head, but supported the plans as long as a flooding scheme is be approved by South West Water, while requesting that "a management plan be drawn up with R Walker in conjunction with Budock Parish Council and Penryn Town Council, relating to managing the surrounding valley and site."

 

The consultation and decision deadlines for the planning application had been deferred from 2016 after opponents of the scheme called for a traffic assessment, due to the only access to the site being onto Hill Head.

 

In a comment published on Cornwall Council's planning website in May, the council's highways team calculated that the development, which consists of up to 150 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, will generate 90 two-way vehicle trips at morning peak times and 105 trips during the afternoon peak.

 

The planning officer noted: "These will be spread between heading south along Hill Head towards Falmouth, Mawnan Smith etc and north along Hill Head towards Penryn. A new roundabout has been provided south west of the site at Union Corner, this would serve much of the development as this is on the route to the schools, Falmouth town centre and to the bypass for destinations including Truro, Helston and beyond.

 

"To the north the access point onto Commercial Road in Penryn has been previously capacity modelled and has found available capacity. "On this basis I am content that the development would not raise significant capacity concerns."

 

The plans for the new development include improvement to the access junction to provide a footway onto Hill Head, with a pedestrian refuge for crossing to the existing footpath on the opposite side of the road.

 

The plans also require traffic calming measures including speed humps which will also "keep cars in specific lanes," and a chicane between the site entrance footpath and the free section of road that leads to Union Corner.

 

The highways officer has also recommended combined pedestrian/cycle through the site to College Hill, which will "provide a pedestrian connection through to the public rights of way that permeate through the reservoirs" and will also link to the new Kernick Gate residential development.

 

And they suggested that no financial contribution be sought from the developers if the company carries out the above works, as these would "provide a strategic transport value in encouraging pedestrian and cycle use and would assist in providing a route from Kernick to both Union Corner and Commercial Road."

 

To view the plans, search for application number PA16/06414 on Cornwall Council's planning website.