Illogan residents oppose two plans for 118 new homes in village

A meeting this week saw more than 100 residents of Illogan, near Redruth, crammed into the village school to make their feelings known about an application by developer EBC Partnerships Ltd to build 78 affordable homes on just over three hectares of land off Basset Road in Illogan.

It came at the same time as a separate application by Kingsley Developments was lodged with Cornwall Council for 40 properties at Marys Well in the village. The proposal has already received 105 comments in opposition on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, with none in support, since being uploaded last week.

A third scheme for 51 affordable homes on land at Park Bottom, Illogan, has been mooted in a pre-application submitted with Cornwall Council on Monday, November 2.

The Kingsley Developments scheme for 40 homes would comprise a mix of single-storey and two-storey dwellings, including detached, semi-detached and terraced units, and would include ten affordables.

A view to the area where 40 homes have been proposed in Illogan (Pic: Kingsley Developments)

A supporting statement reads: “The site extends to approximately 1.6 hectares and comprises two fields of modified grassland with areas of unmanaged scrub. The land was historically used as a plant nursery and contains two former greenhouse structures which have since been removed.”

The proposal would leave the existing hedgerow boundaries and also retain trees on the western and south western boundaries. Enhancements would be made to existing hedgerows.

Illogan Parish Council has objected strongly to both applications this week. Regarding Kingsley Developments’ plan for 40 homes, it stated: “The proposal raises unresolved concerns regarding highway safety, accessibility, educational capacity, the adequacy and consistency of open space provision, public safety in relation to SuDS [drainage] infrastructure and the loss of agricultural land.

"The parish council therefore requests that planning permission be refused.”

Public comments include:

• “The infrastructure of Illogan is at its maximum capacity as it is, the schools cannot accept more students. The GP surgery’s wait times are already stretched. The local Boots chemist has a queue every time you go in. The roads cannot accommodate 80 new vehicles assuming each property has two vehicles minimum as an average.”
• “The land proposed is Grade 3a and by planning law they should provide proof that they have already searched for land with soil that is worse off and there was no other solution. They have shown no proof of doing so.”
• “The land is a valuable natural habitat with established hedgerows, trees and areas of wild vegetation supporting a range of wildlife. It seems absurd to lose this relatively undeveloped green space when biodiversity is under increasing pressure and other, less biologically valuable, areas are available in nearby Carn Brea parish.”
• “The road access is already busy and more concrete being poured into nature is not going to meet the zero emissions set by Cornwall Council. I think it is absolutely disgraceful that this land is even being considered.”

For more details see planning application PA26/04237 on Cornwall Council’s website.

The pre-application submission for 51 affordable homes comes from MJL Community Homes and Coastline Housing. It states: “Prior to submitting a planning application, we believe it is best practice to submit a formal pre-app to ask for advice and feedback.”