An outline planning application to build up to 14 homes in a village has been refused permission.

The proposals to build homes on land off Rinsey Lane in Ashton went before Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee this morning.

Councillors heard that the plans were revised after a previous application for 43 homes was refused permission.

Planning officers said the site was considered to be a rural exception site and the development would provide affordable housing meeting an identified need.

However an Ashton resident speaking on behalf of the residents’ association said that the consultation about the development had seen people’s views “ridden over roughshod”.

They said that there was limited access to services and that public transport to the nearest transport was £6 return.

And they claimed that if the plans were approved it would only be a first phase with residents expecting further plans to come forward.

Local objectors were also concerned about highway safety and said it was not suitable to have an access road coming from a road which was very narrow.

Breage Parish Council had also objected to the plans saying that it did not believe they complied with Cornwall Council’s planning policy and claimed they were “built development in the open countryside”.

The parish council said any benefits from the scheme were outweighed by the harm the development could cause.

John Keeling, Cornwall councillor for the area, supported the objections and said there were already two housing developments underway in Ashton which would provide new homes and there was a possibility of a third.

He said this would provide an extra 52 dwellings and this was a sufficient increase in housing for the village.

Cllr Keeling was also concerned about the highways issues and about how safe it would be to provide a footway along the narrow stretch of road.

A proposal to refuse planning permission was carried with 13 votes in favour and one against.