St Anne’s Chapel

2. Don’t you just despair ! - Despite the story below, last week saw the spectical of County Councillor Mark Kaczmarek pleading on BBC Radio Cornwall for farmers and landowners to sell him acres of  greenfield land in this area on which to build ‘affordable’ houses. The council will be prepared to buy this land at over the odds prices, using our money of course. Under questioning by the interviewer Kaczmarek , who holds the portfolio for housing in Cornwall, was unable to to respond with the precise number on people there were on a ‘list’ waiting for ‘affordable’ homes. He did say that there used to be 19,000 but at the moment there were 8,000 in the whole of Cornwall. He apparently already has 17 sites (which the council are keeping secret for financial reasons) on which to build, but because we, the electorate, are not going to be told where they are until the formulated plans are ready for public consultation, we dont know if any of the mystery sites will be in this area. The RSS also has plans for almost 70,000 homes to be built be 2026. Given that some 30% should be so called ‘affordable’ this will equate to some 21,000 !! TA cant quite make sense of the numbers - and if you cant, I would suggest that you write to Cornwall Council and ask them for an answer. TA will attemp to get a recording of this interview and publish it on this website.

Yet another Cornish village appears to be going under the hammer.

TA has been informed that the following news report was featured in the Cornish Times last Friday:

Fury over housing estate plan for village

Friday, 03 April 2009

Residents are angry over proposals to build a large housing estate in a village in South East Cornwall.

Plans have already been approved by councillors for 155 homes (22 of which are affordable) on the estate, which will be off the A390 at St Ann’s Chapel near Callington.
 
However, the outline plans are subject to a review by the Government Office for the South West because they are a departure from Government rules on affordable housing.
 
Residents say they have not been kept informed about the plans and a consultation meeting regarding the development was held in nearby Gunnislake, not St Ann’s Chapel.
There are concerns that more housing could lead to traffic chaos and that there are a lack of facilities for the potential population increase of around 600 people (1,200 people currently live in the village).

Resident Nigel Miles said: ‘It’s confusing to people as the outline planning permission has already been granted, but now there are a couple of signs up on telegraph poles near the site telling people they can object by April 10.’
Nigel, who has posted more than 300 leaflets opposing the plans around the village, stressed he is not against building new homes and said: ‘Everyone is rightly demanding more affordable homes, not just as a paltry “add on” to the overpriced unaffordable ones.
Are the developers prepared to provide for long-term jobs in our community, build and run a new primary school and support and run a health centre for one which is currently overburdened?’

[Note: Permission for 135 houses on the site was originally granted in 1977 and is being resurrected. This permission was given before the Government implemented conditions that new developments have to provide a percentage of social housing].

Developer Richard Pillar will be building the homes if they are approved and has stated that £135,000 will be given for improvements in the village, with £10,000 set aside for Metherell village hall.
Mr Pillar said: ‘The planning states that we could build 135 houses tomorrow but we have been working with Caradon and have agreed that a much better option is smaller more affordable homes and we are also giving money to the community.
‘It’s unfortunate that people feel they haven’t been properly informed, but the plans have been open to the public.’

Planning officer Paul Jackson said: ‘There was a public meeting with the developers in December 2008 and there have been public notices. Residents living near the site received letters.’


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