A fourth generation farmer and owner of a successful equestrian business has said he is worried his land could be taken from him as part of Penryn Campus expansion plans.

John Tozer, who runs Treliever Equestrian Centre near the university, is asking as many people as possible to comment on Cornwall Council's draft Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD), which sets out proposed land allocations for the area until 2030.

Mr Tozer is concerned that the document has marked a tranche of land, including his 45 acre farm, as an allocated site for the campus, with education and support facilities, office space and student accommodation - and it is the only site on the map with such an allocation.

Unlike areas marked for potential student housing, which are labelled as an option, he feels that the land at Treliever has already been earmarked as it is the only viable expansion space for the university's facilities.

Mr Tozer said: "That's what's in that plan. But we live on that land and I'm the fourth generation of the Tozer family that has lived on this land.

"What makes it worse is that it seems to be the only area within the allocation plans that's really targeted for this sort of use. Most of the other sites are for student housing."

The land, which is classified as agricultural grade 3a or 'good' farming quality, has been part of the government's Mid Tier countryside stewardship scheme over the last ten years, and Mr Tozer said: "It's beautiful countryside, trees and hedges and flowers. It's too good to develop."

He added that the people who come to use the centre see it as "their part of England," while the work he had done had made it "a haven for wildlife."

Mr Tozer is trying to get as many people as possible to engage with the council's consultation process, which is open to November.

He said: "Then they are going to take notice of the comments with a view to amending them, but potentially this is going to be more or less the strategic plan.

He added: "The connotations of compulsory purchase that have been mentioned in reports to the council... it really is worrying us.

"If a site is for commercial use then it's outside of compulsory purchase orders, but if it's for strategic benefit, and I think education can fall into that... the whole allocation plans has been based on the university's requirements.

"I've got a son and daughter that are also involved in the horse business and grand children that might try and take it on. It's so focused on this site that it's frightening.

"Also within that bulk of land that they have earmarked is my son's house and there are three other privately owned residences."

He added: "I don't want to be seen as a hard luck story... but as a farmer who has worked to protect a landscape all his life."

Mr Tozer said his family "want to make the general public aware that they can make representations to the council.

"We feel that there are brown field sites around that could be utilised, and not taking green field sites."

Cornwall Council said the land had been put forward as a preferred option over alternative sites as it represented the best option for academic and support facilities which would integrate with the campus.

A council spokesperson said: "The council has been in contact with the landowners and will continue to do so during and beyond the consultation period. This continued engagement will enable the council to understand the aspirations of the landowners and how and when development on this land might come forward.

"We continue to undertake further analysis on the proposed site and surrounding land which will help to inform the final version of the Allocations DPD."

Falmouth University and the University of Exeter said in a joint statement that in order to help improve access to higher education and help create new businesses and higher value jobs, additional development would be necessary, including on sites identified by Cornwall Council for possible expansion.

They said: "Land to the north of the Penryn campus has been deemed by the Cornwall Council planning department as suitable for such expansion. Any such development would be subject to the usual planning process and consultation."

Anyone wishing to view or comment on the document can go to cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/planning/planning-policy/cornwall-local-plan/development-plan-documents/cornwall-site-allocations-development-plan-document/