A PROPOSED development of 200 new houses does “not meet the needs of the community” says the local council.

Menheniot Parish Council has underlined its objection to the Tencreek Farm application submitted by Wainhomes.

The developer has recently submitted new, revised documents to Cornwall Council following “further surveys and detailed analysis of the site”.

Menheniot Parish Council chairman Councillor Adrian Cole said that the local situation had changed since outline planning permission for the scheme was granted eight years ago.

“Councillors unanimously agreed not to support the recently changed application for 150 open market and 52 affordable and shared equity dwellings at Tencreek Farm,” said Cllr Cole.

“Councillors considered that the current needs of the community were not being met as these had changed hugely since the last outline consent in 2016 and the local development plan in 2013.  The latest figures from the Homechoice register show that 64 affordable homes alone are needed in Menheniot, and a further 609 in Liskeard.”

Cornwall Council’s Affordable Housing team has, however, supported the Tencreek plan.

It says that the number of affordable homes on the development is acceptable so long as a £46,000 contribution is paid by the developer toward off-site affordable home provision.

The Affordable Housing team adds that as a result of the current housing crisis in Cornwall, the chief planning officer has introduced a higher level of social rented housing — 50 per cent — as a requirement of the affordable housing element of new developments. But as the Tencreek application pre-dates this change, the developer is not obliged to meet this criteria.

A further ongoing concern of Menheniot Council is the lack of an approved master plan for the whole development area, which includes a 15 acre site for employment-generating uses.

So far this would include a drive-thru restaurant, a coffee shop with drive-thru facility, an electric charging hub, a building supplies merchant and industrial / commercial units.

Without an approved overall plan, says the council, phased construction of the housing cannot be insisted upon.

“This would ensure that open market housing was driven by additional employment,” said Cllr Cole. “Thus avoiding impacting on already overloaded local services.”