The councils of a neighbouring town and parish have had mixed reactions to plans for 138 new homes near their border.

If approved, the development would be built on land in Budock at Kergilliack off Hillhead Road, behind land earmarked for two developments of 104 and 37 homes at Union Corner and opposite a new 300-home estate being built by Persimmon Homes.

Although the development would sit in Budock's existing parish, it may become a part of Falmouth in the near future if boundary lines are redrawn as part of Cornwall Council's ongoing Community Governance Review.

Read more: Anger at "land grab" proposal to make Budock a ward of Falmouth

Falmouth Packet:

Falmouth Town Council has recommended that the application be turned down by planners at Cornwall Council, calling it an "uninspired layout and design with insufficient infrastructure consideration for Falmouth."

The town council also said that the development would bring the total number of new builds to a number that exceeds recommendations made by Cornwall Council in its Allocations Development Plan Document, which was adopted in November 2019.

The document states that land at Kergilliack should accommodate up to 200 homes. If this latest application is approved, it would take the total number of homes earmarked for the site to 279.

Budock Parish Council, however, in whose current parish the development would sit, supported the plan.

It approved of the applicant's pledge to meet "higher standards of energy performance which go beyond current requirements," and the inclusion of electric car charging ports.

The parish council did raise concerns about the increased level of traffic going to and from the development during construction that would affect the already-busy Kergilliack and Hillhead roads.

It also mentioned the lack of pedestrian access between the development and Kergilliack Road and a lack of solar panels or air-source heat pumps in the designs.

Falmouth Packet:

The land that developers hope to build on is a point of contention between Falmouth Town Council and Budock Parish Council.

Though currently part of Budock, a number of new developments are under construction on land west of Bickland Water Road, and Falmouth Town Council hopes to expand its boundary to include these new houses.

The town's boundaries may change after Cornwall Council's Community Governance Review, for which consultation has started.

One of Falmouth's proposals is to absorb Budock and make it a ward of the town, whilst another is to extend the town's boundary westwards.

More on the Community Governance Review here: cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/community-governance-reviews/.