A former mining site at a Cornish surf village is to be transformed into more high-end eco holiday homes despite objections from locals who say it will be "turned into a concrete jungle", writes SWNS reporter Faye Mayern.

Porthtowan is known for its stretch of breathtaking beaches which make popular spots for swimming, surfing and sunbathing.

Cornwall Council has granted Valley Resorts conditional planning permission for 16 new holiday homes at Towan Valley Resorts, as well as permission to build a new leisure facility with a pool, sauna, gym, changing facilities and deck.

The new plans would bring the total number of eco-lodges on the site to 44. The development is already home to 26 two, three and four-bedroom cottages built in 2012 which fetched between £220k and £270k.

Holiday resort business Valley Resorts said the cottages - described as "a triumph of contemporary eco-design and relaxed country style" - boast an outdoor hot tub and flat screen TV, and are perfect for holidaymakers and walkers looking to enjoy Cornwall's coastline.

However, the plans have been controversial amongst residents of the small village over concerns of increased traffic, damage to wildlife and sewage.

Other say "additional holidays homes are not needed" and the existing homes are already "mostly lying empty for the majority of the year."

Of the 50 comments submitted by members of the public, all but one was in opposition to the development.

One objector commented on the planning application: "Visually the valley will be turned into a concrete jungle. There are owls, birds and endangered bats and slow worms. Wildlife needs our support not our discouragement from coming to this beautiful area.

"Sewage work needs addressing before anymore building happens as Porthtowan's surrounding areas can't cope as it is. Porthtowan and surrounding areas need permanent, affordable living homes, not more holiday homes to address the housing crisis."

One said: "It makes no sense to create more holiday lets in an area saturated with them, with rapidly declining levels of holiday makers. It makes no sense to destroy a natural habitat for no reason."

Another said: "Porthtowan already has too many holiday homes, we can't house our locals.

"Porthtowan can't cope with the crowds that descend at holiday season, we don't need any more adding to the stretched resources. Nature not more tourists."

One objector added: "Porthtowan is located in a narrow, deep-sided, winding valley.

"It is already a popular tourist destination due to its Blue Flag beach and surf, and during the summer months, the village becomes overwhelmed with visitors and holiday lets.

"The infrastructure cannot support the resulting volume of traffic and pedestrians. Roads are frequently gridlocked, parking is inappropriate, and the area becomes chaotic and unsafe."

However another said: "Great scheme for the local area. Will create jobs and more money spent in the local economy."

The approval for a further 16 homes is conditional and a habitat management plan must be prepared alongside the approved biodiversity assessment before building can begin.

An assessment of the risks posed by any contamination as well as a landscape and environmental management plan must also be submitted and approved.

The Porthtowan mines mainly produced copper in the 1800s but lead, iron, tin and zinc were also found.

Andrew Clark, CEO at Valley Resorts, said: “It’s fantastic to now be able to move forward with the next era of the Towan Valley resort, creating both short-term and long-term jobs and stimulating the development of further public realm for local people on the beautiful Cornish coast.

“We have worked incredibly closely with our planning consultants Avison Young and Cornwall Council to address any prior concerns about the site, and we look forward to delivering a sustainable, high-quality development of holiday homes.”