AN outline planning application for up to 37 houses at Camelford was approved by Cornwall Council on Monday.

At the meeting of the council’s east sub area planning committee at Liskeard, councillors voted by 12 to three in favour of the application, which will also see the provision of public open space on land west of Sir James Smith’s Community School, Station Road.

The meeting heard the application includes 30% provision of affordable housing.

Vehicular access to the site would be at one point from the B3266, which councillors heard has a 30mph speed limit along the stretch outside of the site.

Andrew Parkman, who told the meeting he had lived in Camelford all his life, and works as a local police sergeant, said of the application: “It is outside of what we think is Camelford’s natural boundaries. There is also plenty of development going on.

“People don’t expect to have green fields outside the area railroaded over.

“I think it will have a huge impact. I think the infrastructure of Camelford is already beyond capacity — the school’s full, the doctors is full and there is no dentist. It’s already become a commuter town.”

Referring to what he described as a recent ‘census’ by Camelford Town Council, Mr Parkman added: “I think 94% of people in Camelford want no further building at the moment.”

Camelford town councillor Andy Shaw also spoke in opposition to the application, and said the town council had objected to the original outline application, which had previously included two vehicular access points, but said this issue had ‘now been addressed’.

He added: “The [town] council are also very concerned about the crossing of the 3266 [B road]. We feel the only acceptable measure would be a pelican crossing.”

He said the town was currently undertaking neighbourhood planning and is at the first draft stage, adding: “As part of our neighbourhood planning, this is not one of the sites we have allocated as it’s outside the boundary.”

Cllr Shaw raised concerns about empty affordable properties to let in the town, but Will Morris, Cornwall Council’s affordable housing officer, said: “As I understand, the stock that’s proving hard to let is old council stock, not necessarily the best quality, and also some of it is for older persons only.”

Ben Wood spoke on behalf of Savills, which was representing the applicant. He said: The site is considered to be a good location for housing development.”

Mr Wood was not able to respond to a councillor’s question on where children of junior age should go to school as the meeting had heard the primary school is full, but planning officer Gavin Smith said a development would have ‘on average’ one in seven children attending a primary school. Mr Smith said the development would provide a contribution to education, and this is understood would contribute towards the provision of additional school places.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Batters, representing Lanivet and Blisland, in proposing acceptance of the application, said: “I think it would be difficult to find grounds to go against this application.”

Councillors voted in favour of accepting the application by 12 votes to 3.