Plan for new housing estate in St Austell gets the go-ahead

THE plan to develop a former council offices site in St Austell with 78 homes and small-scale commercial premises has been given the go-ahead. 

Developers Treveth, a company set up by Cornwall Council, is going to construct the homes and commercial units on the site off the A390 main road to the south of the town centre. 

The site, which will be accessed from Penwinnick Road, previously housed offices that had been used by Cornwall Council and, before that, had been the headquarters of Restormel Borough Council. 

The offices were demolished in 2024 in a project paid for through government brownfield funding.  

Treveth, which has carried out a number of rounds of public consultation on the proposed development, will be building one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, these being a mix of houses and flats. Trees and woodland will be retained as part of the open space at the development. 

Cornwall Council planners have granted planning permission for the scheme, subject to a range of conditions. 

Treveth was set up by the council to deliver new homes and commercial developments that benefit people who live and work in Cornwall. Some of the homes at the Penwinnick Road development will be available for private rent to local people as part of the company’s approach. 

However, the scheme has concerned St Austell Cornwall councillor Jack Yelland (Reform UK) who says it has no affordable housing as it stands and the developer is not being asked to make any community infrastructure contributions.

Treveth said it couldn’t make the scheme viable if affordable housing had to be provided. It has stated though that it would apply for Homes England funding to try to have a percentage of affordable homes at the site. 

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When St Austell town councillors discussed the proposed development earlier in the planning application process, they generally welcomed the scheme.