A development of 12 homes, which will include seven affordable properties, has been approved in a Cornish village despite the local councillor saying it will “stick out like a sore thumb”.

An application for the houses and flats near Goldsithney was opposed by the parish council, around 30 residents and a Cornwall councillor on the grounds that they would be “overbearing”, “insensitive” and would impact wildlife and the countryside character of the area.

Tom Grey and Nikki White were seeking approval for the rural exception scheme – which allows councils to grant permission for affordable housing on land that would not normally be used for housing – at Perran Downs, between Rosudgeon and Goldsithney in west Cornwall.

The application was recommended for approval by Cornwall Council’s planning department but brought before a strategic planning committee today (Thursday, August 21) by a concerned Cllr John Thomas, who represents the area.

The development will include five open market properties (two three-bed houses, two four-bed houses and one one-bed house) and seven affordables. They would be made up of a three-bed house in shared ownership, a two-bed house with affordable rent, two two-bed houses under shared ownership, and two one-bed flats and one 1.5-bed flat with affordable rent.

Sue Nicholas, vice-chair of Perranuthnoe Parish Council, told the meeting: “I’d like to say that as a parish council we are in favour of affordable housing. There are three sites that have already been identified for affordable housing in the parish which have yet to be brought to fruition, which will provide at least 40 homes in much more appropriate sites than this rural one.

“This will only destroy open fields and the environment for both residents and wildlife. This site runs along Perran Downs Lane which is narrow and used extensively by walkers, horseriders and cyclists. Two cars have difficulty passing in that lane.

“This is a very rural area with an environment that has a significant variety of wildlife.” She argued that it was unsuitable as a rural exception site. “Two-storey houses are not the vernacular in this area.”

Planning agent Samuel Fuller, representing the applicants, said: “There’s been a severe lack of affordable housing delivery within this area, with one affordable dwelling being delivered in the last five years. The number of households within the housing register in this parish now stands at 63.”

He noted that a previous application on the site had been refused, but the number of properties had now been reduced and an area of open space moved to a better location.

Local member Cllr Martin outlined a number of previous applications for the site saying: “This has been quite a rollercoaster of a ride for this patch of land for the community, the parish council and for the planning department. This end of Perran Downs is primarily bungalows with larger houses back in the trees.

“The proposed 12 two-storey houses will stick out like a sore thumb in the countryside. The build will intrude into the green farmland belt which separates the hamlet of Perran Downs from the community of Rosudgeon.” He added that similar houses in Rosudgeon have struggled to sell with some remaining unsold.

Committee member Cllr Dulcie Tudor said: “In my parish of Chacewater we’d give our right arm for a development like this. In fact, we’ve been trying to get affordable housing on land plots this size for years. It’s either small to medium developments in towns and villages like this across Cornwall [that will] solve the housing crisis or its soulless large estates.

“This is a great solution to the affordable housing crisis so that people growing up and have family connections to these lovely places actually get to live in lovely places.”

Cllr Andrew Long agreed: “A lot of villages would be crying out for affordable housing developments like this to allow people to live in the community they’re brought up in.”

The committee voted unanimously to approve the homes.