A planning committee has approved a proposal for affordable homes in a Cornish village despite the local councillor asking for it to be refused following concerns raised by some residents.

The meeting heard an impassioned speech about how local people were “desperate” to stay in the area but had been priced out.

Cornwall Community Land Trust (CLT) applied for planning permission to build ten “100 per cent” affordable houses on land near Carn View in Gwennap, near Redruth, on the border of the World Heritage Mining Site. The proposal stressed that the housing would be for people with a local connection in perpetuity.

However, the application was brought before the council’s central sub-area planning committee last week by the local Cornwall councillor John Thomas, who aired his concerns about the site being next to a dangerous road and a lack of facilities in the village to support new residents. A number of locals had objected on similar grounds.

Planning officer Adam Carlyon said: “Whilst the concerns of the local residents and electoral division member are understood, it is considered that the proposal represents a suitable rural exception development in this particular location and would make a valuable contribution towards addressing housing need in the parish of Gwennap.”

Patricia Richmond, of the CLT, told the committee: “There is significant local housing need in Gwennap parish. This is evident from a local survey in 2017 which identified 48 local households all with some level of housing need. Since then the housing crisis has only got worse. The scheme has been designed to produce a mix of house types and tenures. These homes will be homes for locals forever, as a legal part of planning permission.

“We recognise that Gwennap is a very special place but it is also a living community. We think that the provision of ten new 100% affordable, energy efficient homes will enhance this small community.”

Richard Williams, the chairman of Gwennap Parish Council, gave an impassioned speech outlining the need for more housing in the area.

He said: “The problem of a term like ‘affordable housing’ is that over time it can lose its meaning. For Gwennap Parish Council this priority is about real people who are desperate to stay in the area where they grew up, desperate to be with their family and friends, desperate to belong.

“I met a family in my parish – a couple with four children – who moved abroad having explored all options as they couldn’t see a way of buying or building a home in Gwennap or Cornwall. That family should have been able to be part of our community; the children should have gone to our village school.

“Today is a momentous day in the history of our parish – this has been a six-year story. Please follow the advice of your officer and make it a day of celebration throughout the parish.”

Kevin Furnish, a previous chairman of the parish council, started the process of engaging with the land trust to provide “truly affordable housing for my community”. He said there hasn’t been an affordable house built in the parish for almost 30 years.

He told councillors: “Clearly there are some concerns from local residents but the fact is this application addresses all of them. It will provide a handsome development which my community will relish.”

A 22-year-old resident of Gwennap supported the application for multiple reasons. Writing on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, Cealan D’Souza said: “As [someone] who has grown up in the village I hope to live and own my own home in the place I grew up. Affordable homes are essential to the future of Cornwall and the ability of local people to remain and contribute to the local economy.

“There is an ageing demographic in Cornwall, with Gwennap no exception and many residents have been fortunate to buy their own homes in the village. However, the existing number of young, working professionals struggle to remain in the areas they grew up in and affordable housing is a viable option to help the community.

“It is always disappointing to hear local people objecting to proposals for local housing, when individually, most of the same people would advocate that affordable housing is needed within Cornwall. With minimal disruption, natural damage and restrictions to existing residents, the proposals will be able to ensure local people can remain living in their local area and continue to positively benefit the local and surrounding area socially, economically and environmentally.”

Cllr John Thomas said he rarely goes against the parish council but felt if the committee approved the “ill-conceived” application it would be encouraging “100% use” of cars as there is limited public transport near the site.

He added that the lanes in the area are known for speeding and dangerous driving. He believed there were more fitting sites within the parish for such a development.

He said that a shop, doctor’s surgery, school and pub have all now disappeared from Gwennap: “There are no facilities whatsoever for young families having to conquer these treacherous roads.”

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Thalia Marrington asked her fellow councillor: “If people haven’t got a home do you think that not having access to a bus will be more of a concern than not having a roof over their heads?”

Other councillors pointed out that the need for affordable housing was “really high” in the parish. Cllr Marrington added: “All the speakers have shown how much thought has gone into the plan. It might actually lead to an improvement in bus services.”

Cllr Loveday Jenkin said: “This is the sort of scheme that Cornwall needs. You need to have small amounts in different areas – it’s no good putting one big housing development in the middle of the parish [as] it won’t work. Designing small scale schemes across the parish is what works. Not necessarily the cheaper thing to do but it’s best for the community.”

The committee unanimously approved the proposal.