A DEVELOPMENT of 98 park homes could be constructed on land at Pelynt.
Laister Planning has put in an application on behalf of site owner Silvro Ltd.
The 21 acre plot known as Jolly Park lies to the south west of the village of Pelynt and comprises an existing caravan site and an additional field. It’s classed by Natural England as Grade 3 (Good to Moderate) agricultural land.
Last year, at the time of seeking pre-planning advice for 108 holiday units and park homes, Silvro was told that any development at the site would need to be led by affordable housing, and that the scale of the proposal “seemed excessive in relation to the modest size of the village”.
But the applicant describes the village as a fairly sustainable settlement: it is well served by facilities, with several shops, a sub-post office, a pub, a social club and a primary school, and lies on a bus route.
Since acquiring the site in 2022, Silvro Ltd has been in dialogue with Pelynt Parish Council. Public meetings and workshops have been held where residents have had the chance to look at the proposals and ask questions.
The applicant states that the preference of the Parish Council, following feedback from local people, has been for residential park homes for the over 55s.
The company says that the development will provide much-needed affordable housing for an older age group. It says: “This scheme has been developed with a significant amount of consultation with Pelynt Parish Council, Cllr Hannaford of Cornwall Council (now very sadly deceased) and the general public over a period of 18 months.
“The feedback received has helped the proposed scheme to evolve with a less dense layout, and a greater emphasis on significant new landscaping and areas of open green space; improving the quality of the place and living environment, to make it a more attractive place to live.
“The proposals are for residential park homes which are sophisticated homes manufactured in a factory-controlled environment as bungalow style accommodation for permanent living.”
The site at Jolly Park has a long and confused planning history, summed up by planning officer George Shirley when he gave pre-planning advice to Silvro Ltd in 2023.
In 1972, an Established Use Certificate for the use of the land as a caravan and camping site on the northern section of the site was approved. In 1976, consent was granted for the construction of estate roads and sewers on the lower part of the site, which was found to still be valid in January 2000. From 1980 to 2007, there were a range of refused applications for residential and camping/caravan proposals.
In 2017, consent was granted for a mixed use outline development comprising of housing, employment, and public open space. A subsequent outline application to reduce the affordable housing level was refused in 2018 and was dismissed at appeal in 2019. A reserved matters application for Phase 1 of the initial 2017 consent was refused in 2020, and the 2017 planning consent has now lapsed.
