CORNWALL Council has refuted claims that a Launceston housing development has been delayed by three years.

Cornwall Council has denied claims made by some of its councillors that a development of up to 275 new homes has been postponed for three years, some 13 years after it was initially submitted.

Back in 2012, an application was submitted for plans which would see a food store, petrol station, a hotel, a pub or restaurant, a coffee shop, a fast food restaurant and up to 275 houses built in Launceston.

The application would see such facilities constructed next to Launceston’s Link Road, south east of the Pennygillam Industrial Estate.

Plans were initially submitted by Development Securities (Launceston) Ltd and was granted conditional approval by Cornwall Council’s planning committee.

However, by 2016 with the application’s approved status out of date, a new applicant came forward. Some four years later the development finally changed hands to Treveth, a Cornwall Council ‘arm’s length’ organisation.

Offering such amenities as a new food shop/supermarket alongside potentially hundreds of homes, the development has split the opinion of residents since its first submission.

One comment from 2012’s application reads: “I feel as a member of the Central Methodist Church, that the new Morrison's site PA12/07683 is a very good idea, you are going to provide a lot of jobs for the people in the surrounding area, and also bring people into the area from different parts of Cornwall, with housing and also a community link.”

However, some were less keen: “It is my view that this development is ill conceived and unnecessary. This may well be yet another nail in the coffin for town centre businesses. The development is on a green field site and means the loss of important environmental features and a detrimental effect on the hedgerow, fresh water habitats and drainage.”

After a number of changes to the plans, and further delays, some 13 years later, yet another delay is potentially on the cards.

At the start of the year, Cornwall councillor for Altarnun and Stoke Climsland, Adrian Parsons announced the news that plans had been pushed back once again.

In a statement, he said: “The eye sore of a development at the council owned site on the link road in Launceston is expected to be put on hold for three years. The site was bought to deliver much needed local housing and is under the control of Treveth, the council’s ‘arm’s length’ company, who say the development will be delayed until ‘market conditions improve’.

“This was always going to be a challenging site to build out, with vast sums of money having already been spent without any real chance of making a return on that investment any day soon, which in all honesty really isn’t good enough!”

Following the news, town and Cornwall councillor for Launceston South John Conway also confirmed this.

Speaking to the Post, he said: “My understanding is that Treveth will eventually build the houses on the lower part but not until the financial situation improves. I understand the problems include the steepness of the terrain and the amount of water on the site. You may well ask if the officers who bought the land used a map that did not have contours on it.”

However, Cornwall Council has refuted these claims, stating it continues ‘to work to deliver the development’.

A council spokesperson said: “Cornwall Council is not putting on hold the development of the Link Road site at Launceston for three years. We continue to work to deliver this development, which will provide much needed housing in the town. Key infrastructure work on site – to install utilities and access – needs to be completed before we can appoint a development partner to build the homes.

“While we own the housing development at the site, the commercial development remains in private ownership.”

Following the claims, Cllr Conway responded, telling the Post: “I have definitely been in a meeting with officers recently and been told that Treveth do not think they can consider building on this site for at least three years due to current economic pressures. I was informed that the land vests with Cornwall Council at present and has not been transferred to Treveth. The officer indicated that the plan was to let the ground to a local farmer until the site becomes economically viable.

“A different meeting has suggested that a developer is being actively sought.”

• With plans up in the air, would you want to see the development get underway? Let us know on social media or via [email protected]