AN ARCHITECTURAL practice is looking to open up more affordable housing opportunities in Morwenstow, with hopes of this scheme helping to deliver a much-needed village shop.

Barry Tape, from Cornish-based BkT Architecture, has submitted a planning application for 13 new dwellings in Morwenstow (PA17/08555), including seven to help meet the needs of local people, on behalf of Bruce and Wendy Wickett.

It is hoped that if the application is granted, the ‘cross-subsidy’ scheme may be able to help fund a new shop in the village, situated within an area of outstanding natural beauty.

According to Mr Tape, the proposal represents a modest development and will deliver much needed affordable housing in the high-value area.

Additionally, if planning permission is approved, Mr and Mrs Bruce Wickett, owners of the land in question, are hoping to use the funds from the sale of the site to deliver the opening of a shop facility in the village.

With the former village shop having closed its doors in April 2012, the nearest shop to residents in Morwenstow is located in Kilkhampton — approximately 4.5 miles away.

The shop, which will sell everyday items, has already been granted planning consent, but delivery of it largely relies on planning being granted for the housing development. The sale of the site will help fund the construction of the shop.

The housing development is an affordable housing led, cross-subsidy scheme, using high quality, locally distinctive materials, and a vernacular architectural style, to be in keeping with surrounding properties in Morwenstow.

The scheme offers 13 dwellings and provides 54% affordable housing and 46% open market housing. The site area provides generous garden areas to the dwellings and all of the dwellings meet or exceed the minimum national described space standards.

Mr Tape has already had approximately a year of lengthy discussions with Cornwall Council’s affordable housing team, and a public consultation was held in the community centre to further engage with local people.

The affordable housing consists of one and two-bedroom units, whilst the open market housing are three and four-bedroom units.

Mr Tape said: “The proposal represents a glorious opportunity for the people of Morwenstow. The modest development will deliver much needed affordable housing whilst being a catalyst for providing the shop.”

He told the Post: “This is a very much community-led scheme, and it’s a win-win for the parish. The shop is desperately needed — their previous shop was closed down in 2012, and the nearest community facility is elsewhere.

“The application hasn’t been running for long enough to get lots of feedback from local people yet, but I know there’s lots of support for affordable housing in the area. Local people will be given more independence and further opportunity to afford to buy or rent a home, and, of course, it will help deliver a village shop for the community.”

Mr Tape added: “I grew up in Morwenstow, so it is somewhere I understand and know how difficult it can be to buy or rent a home. Also, the closing of the shop, which closed in 2012, was like cutting Morwenstow’s artery for its food supplies to those who couldn’t drive.”

The ‘low-key’ convenience shop will sell fruit, vegetables, baked goods and will incorporate a café too. If built, the shop will be a family commitment to Mr and Mrs Wickett.

Mr Wickett said the main reason he and his wife approached BkT Architecture was to provide more affordable housing for younger people in the area, with the added bonus of potentially providing a community facility.

He said: “It was all about providing low cost houses so youngsters could stay in the village — that was the main idea behind it, really. But obviously the shop came up, and we will need money for that, so any money raised from the sale of the houses would be put towards opening that up — it’s not going to be cheap.”

If the shop was to open in the village, Mrs Wickett would run the business, with Mr Wickett, a plumber, helping when available.

Explaining more about the shop, he said: “It’ll be a general shop, selling local produce and anything for sale locally. They closed the old shop down in 2012 — the people who owned it before retired and couldn’t sell it on, so it was just closed down. So we’ve got no village shop, which was half the reason why we’ve done this. We need something back in the heart of Morwenstow.”

The application has already been discussed by councillors at Morwenstow Parish Council, which has submitted its comments to Cornwall Council’s planning website.

Morwenstow Parish Council claimed that it was ‘not provided with sufficient information’ before discussing the application, and that it had not been made aware that locals were looking for affordable housing, recommending refusal to the application. It also mentioned that 13 homes are already in the pipeline to be built in this area, so is unconvinced that there is a need for a further 13 developments.

In its comments, the parish council said: “There is a lack of infrastructure in the parish to be able to deal with a development of this size. The drainage, sewerage and electrical grid systems are working to capacity, and the Ofsted praised primary school is oversubscribed with, according to a Cornwall Council feasibility survey, no chance of an extension. There is a lack of local services, shops and public transport.

“Whilst the parish council is not against providing affordable homes for applicants with a genuine connection to Morwenstow that have expressed a preference to live in the parish in principle, it does not feel this application addresses a need.”

The application is now to be discussed with Cornwall Council’s planning committee, which is expected to make a decision at the beginning of December.

Mr Wickett added: “I hope we’ve done everything they’ve asked of us, so there will be no reason for them (Cornwall Council) to refuse it.”

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