PROPOSALS for 680 homes on the edge of Bodmin have been described as ‘too much in one go’ by one of its GPs.

Devonshire Homes have submitted an outline planning permission application for the construction of 680 homes, plus a care home and accompanying mixed commercial space with all matters reserved except for access on land at Callywith, adjacent to the A30.

It is an allocated site for commercial and residential development, meaning that there is a good possibility that the proposals achieve planning permission.

At the time of announcing the plans, it had been anticipated that there would be 650 homes, with a recent pre-application stating a figure of 678.

The dwellings would be a mix of one to five bedroom homes including maisonettes, flats and houses, some of which will be split level designs alongside 372 sqm of food retail with associated infrastructure and public open space. There would be at least 50.3 sqm of public open space per home provided on site.

The NHS has stated that the proposed development will have an impact on healthcare in the area, particularly on Bosvena Health – Stillmoor House Medical Practice, Bell Lane, Bodmin. A statement from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) said: “This development of 476 dwellings (excluding 204 affordable dwellings) could generate an additional 1,095 residents and subsequently increase demand upon existing services even further.”

The ICB is seeking a developer contribution of £159,460 to mitigate the impacts. Cornwall Council’s Education and Early Years’ Service requests a standard contribution of £2,736 per qualifying dwelling to help mitigate against the additional children generated by the development.

The Callywith Urban Village proposal would include just over 200 affordable homes, an 80-bed care home and commercial units designed to support local employment and community services. The affordable dwellings will be split 50:50 between shared ownership and social rent.

However, even this mitigation might not be enough, with the town’s GP practice warning that the influx of residents this proposal might bring would bring its services to its knees.

In an objection, Dr Robert Cooper-Waite, one of the partner GPs at Bosvena Health, the operators of the town’s Stillmoor and Carnewater merged medical practices said that the proposals if approved would have a detrimental effect on their ability to provide services.

Describing it as too much in one go, Dr Cooper-Waite said that the provision of the care home on its own would ‘stretch the service’, adding that in his view the numbers would not add up.

He said: “I would object to this proposal on the basis of the effect it will have on the incredibly strained health provision locally.

“I am one of the Bodmin GPs and it is well known that we are working with way beyond typical patient list sizes. The addition of a care home alone will stretch the service and the numbers do not add up.

“This is too much in one go I'm afraid.”

Devonshire Homes have been invited to detail their proposals for the Callywith Urban Village.