PLANS to build 44 new homes in St Erth have been rejected as they are not in line with planning guidelines agreed by local residents.

Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee refused outline planning permission for the development on land near Treloweth Lane.

The decision was a victory for local residents who had agreed on a neighbourhood plan which sets out where they would like development to take place in the village.

Under the plan St Erth Parish Council worked with residents to choose sites where new homes could be built – two suitable sites were allocated and two others were then chosen as rural exception sites, meaning they could be developed should they be required to meet housing need.

But the plans put forward by South West Strategic Developments were set to use one of the allocated sites and one of the exception sites.

Parish councillors and local residents argued that the exception site should not be developed before the two allocated sites had been completed.

The planning committee agreed and refused planning permission for the development on the grounds that it would be contrary to the St Erth Neighbourhood Plan.

A representative from St Erth Parish Council told the committee: “We did identify key sites for housing. We had identified rural exception sites for affordable housing if the other sites did not come forward.”

They said that with planning officers recommending that the application should be approved they were not giving the neighbourhood plan “the weight that it deserves”.

A spokesman for St Aubyn Estates, which is leading the planned development, said it had worked with the parish council to find suitable sites for development and there was a need for affordable housing in the village which could be helped by the development.

Lionel Pascoe, Cornwall councillor for the area, said: “The neighbourhood plan allocates the rural exception sites and should not come forward until the other allocated sites have been developed. That has not happened and conflicts with this.”

He added: “Approving this application could encourage more houses being developed on sites not identified in the neighbourhood plan.”

Cllr Pascoe said that when agreeing the neighbourhood plan “local residents understood that it would provide a clear picture of the location of future development”.

Committee member Sue Nicholas said: “This neighbourhood plan has gone through full consultation and we should be supporting a neighbourhood plan where it has local support.”

One committee member said that if permission was granted then it could undermine efforts to create neighbourhood plans in other parts of Cornwall.

John Bastin said: “In my patch I have several parishes that are finally convinced that a neighbourhood plan is a good ide and will help them shape their future.

“I don’t think we should be allowing developers to dictate when sites should be developed.”

The committee voted in favour of refusing the application.