A Cornwall Council planning meeting heard this week that there is ‘vigorous’ local objection to a proposal for more housing on what has been dubbed as ‘millionaire’s row’ on a clifftop site within Cornwall’s protected National Landscape.

Westcountry Land Enterprises (SW) Ltd applied for permission in principle (PiP) for up to eight houses on a coastal site near Mevagissey CP School in the south Cornish coast village.

The matter was brought to the council’s central area planning committee on Tuesday (April 7) by Conservative divisional member Cllr James Mustoe, who raised concerns about the impact on the National Landscape (formerly an area of outstanding natural beauty or AONB) and a lack of affordable housing.

The entire village of Mevagissey is within the National Landscape jurisdiction.

Planning officers recommended approval having taken into account the findings of a previously dismissed planning appeal for the site where the inspector did not find the loss of the site to development would cause significant harm to the National Landscape.

They said that had been balanced against an objection by the council’s own landscape team, which believed it would cause harm. A ’tilted balance’ therefore applied in favour of the need of more homes during a housing crisis.

The meeting heard from Mevagissey resident and former member of the parish council Garth Shephard.

He said: “This is not a localised impact. It would be a development on the approach to the village, outside the development area and in a very prominent location.

“A nearby house built in 2018 by the same developer sold in 2021 for £1.2-m. There is no local need for new houses like these, which capitalise on sea views to generate profitability from high selling prices.

“The construction of unwanted million-pound clifftop houses does nothing to satisfy local need and would come at the expense of the natural environment.”

Cllr Michael Roberts, chair of Mevagissey Parish Council, added that his council has “consistently and vigorously objected to all the developer’s attempts to cover this clifftop site with expensive houses, now known as a millionaire’s row.

“Their first application was granted on appeal. Unfortunately, Mevagissey Neighbourhood Plan had not been adopted at this time, so the inspector was unable to take it into consideration.

“While their planning statement states that there were seven affordable houses provided, they failed to mention one sold for about £500,000 not long ago”.

He added: “Their next application was granted, but overturned by the parish council launching a judicial review, winning with costs awarded. All further applications have been refused, one after an appeal.

“This latest is an attempt to take advantage of Government changes which gives them a loophole to obtain permission to build houses likely to be expensive that no local person can afford.”

Cllr Roberts said the Homechoice register for the area has 93 people on it and an online search shows there are at least 40 properties up for sale in the village, “mostly far too expensive for those on the housing register, but available for anyone wanting to live in Mevagissey.

“Together with second homes and holiday lets, it’s not more expensive houses we need but truly affordable ones”.

He said several other sites in the village have been identified for housing that would have far less environmental impact.

Cllr Roberts added: “The balancing act between harm and benefits should only be applied if this development was at least 100 per cent affordable. Anything less should not be considered. If you were as Cornish as I am, you would refuse this application.”

He added that the parish council would be very reluctant to support any housing on the site, even affordable homes, as it believes it would ruin the stretch of coastline.

Cllr Steve Trevelyan (Roche & Bugle, Reform UK) responded: “The emphasis seems to be on million-pound houses, but Cornwall is being loaded with affordable housing. There are also people who want high-end houses.

“You’re sort of saying, because you’re rich why should you go there. It’s a place with a sea view and it’s going to command a high price.”

The parish chairman reiterated those types of homes are already available and for sale in the village.

Applicant Justin Dodge was next to address the committee. He said: “The country is in the midst of a severe housing crisis and significant changes to national planning policy last year means that Cornwall cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. With this in mind, there is a presumption in favour of development.”

He added that, with those changes, the developer had finally received the support of Cornwall Council planning officers to develop the site next to the previously successful housing scheme his company had built.

Mr Dodge said the land was an “obvious development site”; a “missing tooth” within the urban landscape, surrounded on three sides by development with the school situated immediately opposite.

He added that the site being within the National Landscape was not a reason for refusal. “The assertion that our scheme will be skyline development is a fallacy.

“This is a modest permission in principle application – it falls below the threshold of major development and, as such, it is permissible within the AONB.” Mr Dodge said it would provide family housing opposite the school.

He said the company had pledged to deliver affordable housing on the site at a second planning stage. The meeting heard that would likely be one property.

Local member Cllr James Mustoe, Conservative divisional member for Mevagissey, told fellow councillors: “This is a prominent site on the entrance to the village – it’s not surrounded by residential development.

“Cornwall Council’s own National Landscape, formerly AONB, team has a history of objection to the applications that have come forward previously on the site. This time they have given a detailed four-page objection.”

He added that he was confident that if the application went to appeal, the inspector would give the National Landscape harm priority in their decision.

Cllr Mustoe added that if the scheme was approved “what in reality we will get is another extension of open market houses which are simply too expensive for local people to purchase and instead will bring others in from outside the area, increasing the population when we are struggling with the infrastructure to support it.

“A situation which I’m sure you will all recognise as a microcosm of what is going on across Cornwall at the moment”.

During debate, committee member Cllr James Ball (Camborne Roskear & Tuckingmill, Independent) said that as part of the PiP application “we haven’t seen any reason that we can turn this down because it’s been proven that there could be development on this site”. He proposed approval as set out, which was seconded by Cllr Trevelyan.

Cllr Dean Evans (Penryn, Green Party) replied: “I’m not sure it’s been shown that development on this site is suitable. I feel that harm to the landscape has been demonstrated.” He also believed the local need for such housing had not been shown. He proposed turning it down.

Cllr Louise Blackman (Perranporth, Reform UK) said she wasn’t convinced the development would help tackle the housing crisis and was also concerned about the impact on the landscape.

Committee chair Cllr Dulcie Tudor (Threemilestone & Chacewater, Independent) added that she would not support the application “because we’re not talking providing homes for locals”.

Cllr Steven Webb added that he didn’t believe the development would be “demonstrably” harmful to the environment.

A vote to approve was tied with four in favour and four against with no abstentions. It went to the chair’s casting vote, with Cllr Tudor voting for refusal.

A subsequent vote to refuse on the grounds of harm to the National Landscape and character of the area was won by four votes in favour, with three against and one abstention.