Cornwall Council has rejected a proposal for 50 new homes in Hayle, despite the inclusion of a land gift intended to allow neighbouring Penpol Primary School to expand.
The scheme from Cardell Jenkins included bestowing land to Hayle Town Council in trust to allow for the school's growth, and promised enhancements including a dedicated school drop-off zone, road safety edits, and additional off-road parking aimed at easing congestion along Penpol Terrace.
Applicant representative John Matthews told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I am astounded at the refusal, the application decision is two months past determination date which means five months to determine an application on an issue which is supposed to be a council priority, housing.
"The applicants were prepared to give in trust to Hayle an acre and a half of land so the school could expand. No other major application in Hayle has given anything to Hayle. Obviously Cornwall Council does not support the needs of the school.
"The application could now take six months for an appeal submission and the appeal could take a year to be determined. Where does that leave Hayle and an excellent school? It makes you think does Cornwall Council really understand the needs of Hayle or is it they just don't care?"
However, one of the reasons cited by the council's planning department for rejecting the proposal was that it clashed with their own strategy, which had earmarked 1.7 hectares of land for the school's expansion and new traffic access. The refusal report said: "By proposing to substantially develop this allocated site with housing, including along the eastern edge of the site, the proposal is considered to conflict with the strategic approach set out in the Cornwall Local Plan,."
The application was also turned down due to its proximity to the Hayle Conservation Area, the Port of Hayle World Heritage Site and significant "below-ground archaeology". The council further noted that the plans failed to prove whether the site could be adequately drained, a key consideration for a project within the Hayle Critical Drainage Area.
Historic England lodged an objection over potential encroachment into the surroundings of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site (CMWHS), citing "the harm that would arise to its outstanding universal value". Hayle Town Council echoed these sentiments.
Additionally, numerous objections were raised on the council's planning portal, voicing concerns regarding access, traffic congestion and the risk of flooding.
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