PLANS for the construction of three dwellings on land in Launceston have been refused by Cornwall Council.

An application had been made to retain an existing dwelling and sub-divide a remaining plot to provide three, three-bedroom detached dwellings at Beckenreid, Tavistock Road.

It had received 13 objections from nearby residents, who among their objections, claimed that the applicant had already begun removing hedges and trees, something that was noted in the refusal.

Launceston Town Council also objected, stating: “The town council objects to this application due to concerns regarding the access and egress to the site, additional traffic, overbearing development and lack of emergency vehicle access.”

The town council also said it had received concerns from residents regarding the removal of mature trees and the impact that was having on wildlife and the natural habitat.

Refusing the application, Cornwall Council told the applicants: “The proposed layout is considered to result in a cramped and contrived form of development which does not function well, specifically the lack of convenient vehicle parking to serve all plots, demonstrated by a lengthy stepped pedestrian footway that is considered to be impractical and will result in perceived overlooking from general movements around the site by residents in combination with overlooking from the proposed raised terraces towards the neighbouring dwelling known as The Walled Garden.

“Furthermore, a large amount of the existing established tree cover has been removed since the submission of the application which has impacted on the general tree cover of the area and as such their removal to facilitate the proposed development has been detrimental to the landscape character and biodiversity value of the site and has failed to retain and integrate existing planting as part of the proposals.

“The proposal fails to meet the required space heating demand target of less than 30kWh/m2/annum and subsequently fails to adequately demonstrate that the proposed dwellings can achieve Net Zero Carbon through the submitted Energy Statement and Energy Summary Tool by ERS Consultants Limited (dated 5/12/23) and received 14th February 2024. The proposal is therefore contrary to policy SEC1 of the Cornwall Council Climate Emergency Development Plan Document 2023.”