LORD Falmouth’s Tregothnan Estate has applied for outline planning permission to build up to 120 new homes on land it owns in Truro.

If approved, the development on 10.1 hectares of land would be built adjacent to the Lidl store off the A390 in an area of the city where planning permission has already been granted for 330 more homes.

A planning statement by Origin3 on behalf of the Tregothnan Estate says: “The vision from the outset is to create a sustainable residential community that is well connected to existing transport infrastructure along the A390 and to local facilities located within a 15-minute walk, and a five-minute cycle to Truro train station.

“The development concept is founded on a generous landscape framework that both embeds the proposal within its immediate context along the Highertown ridge and enhances the site’s principal ecological and drainage features.”

The scheme would offer a range of housing to meet local needs and provide a mix of one- to four-bedroom homes; 35 per cent of the dwellings (42 homes) would be classed as affordable housing, with the final tenure and dwelling mix to be confirmed at a later reserved matters planning stage.

The statement says that key landscape elements include sustainable drainage and attenuation features, retained and enhanced hedgerows, new tree planting, children’s play areas, a community garden and community orchards.

“Overall, green infrastructure will cover more than 50 per cent of the site, creating a generous and multi functional landscape for residents and wildlife alike,” the planning statement continued.

The planning application adds: “In the Cornwall Local Plan, Truro and Threemilestone are set a housing target of 3,900 new homes to be delivered between 2010 and 2030. However, as of April 2025, only 1,794 homes have been completed. At the current rate of delivery, Truro and Threemilestone are not on track to meet their target by the end of the plan period.

“To the west of the city, Langarth Garden Village is an allocation of around 4,000 new homes and infrastructure, including new roads to relieve the A390 and improvements to public transport. While Langarth may begin delivering homes in 2027, it is unlikely to make a meaningful contribution to Truro’s housing needs before 2030.

“New homes are needed to meet current and future housing needs and to better balance homes and jobs at Truro.”

The development would be split into a west quarter and east quarter around the site occupied by Lidl and where work has started on a three-storey care home and 50 retirement apartments.

The application points out that recent developments such as Lidl and the Copperfields development have already extended the urban area southward. In addition, to the south east, there is planning permission for 155 dwellings at Higher Newham Farm and, to the west, permission exists for 175 dwellings at Dudman Farm.

For further details, visit Cornwall Council’s planning portal and search for application PA26/00032.