A £100,000 digger has been set on fire at the site of a controversial housing development near Penzance, with the groundworks company condemning the incident as “mindless vandalism”.
The machine had only been delivered to the site near Polmennor Road, Heamoor, at the weekend when it was targeted, according to Kathy Deakin, of Porteous Groundworks Ltd.
She said the company would now be left without a machine in which it had invested heavily and which was intended to support local employment and supply chains.
Writing on the Penzance Moaning Forum, Kathy said: “Thank you to the considerate people who decided to set fire to our £100k valued machine a day after being delivered to site in Penzance.
“What you don’t realise is the consequence of your actions. We will be without a machine we invested hard earned money into, to enable us to employ local people and generate jobs through using local supply chains.
“I cannot understand why anyone would do this.”
She said a reward was being offered for information identifying those responsible, adding: “This is mindless vandalism. Thank you, culprits, for making an already difficult two years even more difficult.”
The incident comes against a backdrop of long-running controversy over plans for 320 homes at Trannack Farm, near Heamoor.
Plans by Devonshire Homes for the development, including 96 affordable properties, were approved by Cornwall Council in March 2024 despite significant opposition over access and highway safety.
Polmennor Road was a particular source of controversy, with residents raising concerns about construction traffic and the suitability of the narrow road.
When councillors approved the 320-home scheme, Devonshire Homes said it was no longer proposing either construction or residential access from Polmennor Road.
The presence of machinery at the site has now prompted fresh questions from residents about how work is being accessed.
Local resident Josephine Lee, while strongly condemning the alleged arson, questioned whether the site was being accessed from Polmennor Road.
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She said: “Whilst I abhor the mindless vandalism and sympathise with the anger of the owners, I couldn’t help wondering what it was doing there.”
Josephine said her understanding was that planning permission prevented construction vehicles from using Polmennor Road.
Devonshire Homes, which secured permission for the development, subsequently went into administration.
The development attracted considerable opposition before it was approved, with residents and local councils raising concerns about Polmennor Road and highway safety.
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