PROPOSALS for the construction for up to nine houses on land at Week St Mary have been put before Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Mr C Heard is seeking permission in principle for the construction of up to nine dwellings on his land forming part of Cawsey, Week St Mary, Holsworthy.

The permission in principle (PIP) application is a type of planning permission made under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (Permission in Principle) Order 2017.

It seeks to establish whether the site is suitable in-principle for residential development.

As the first part of a two-part process, the initial application is limited to location, land use and amount of development. Anything not approved, such as the final design and layout would come in the Technical Consent stage, and full planning permission is not granted until both aspects are approved.

The planning agent for Mr Heard told Cornwall Council that any potential concerns over the historic strip fields and hedgerows of former burgage plots did not stop a development opposite the land, and shouldn’t for this. They stated: “Whilst the Week St Mary Conservation Area Character Statement identifies the historic strip fields and associated hedgerows of the former burgage plots as contributing to the significance of the Conservation Area, these heritage considerations did not prevent the approval of the Ashbury Grove development adjoining the Site.

“This demonstrates that the significance of these historic landscape features has previously been weighed against the benefits of housing delivery in the determination of residential development proposals within the settlement. It is therefore considered that the heritage considerations that should not prevent the principle of development being granted.

“It is therefore plain a new use of the site is appropriate and given the residential context of the immediately adjacent properties and wider location housing development is the most appropriate use in this case.”

In the application put before Cornwall Council, the planning agent for Mr Heard argued that the proposed development represented a sustainable development for the land.

They said: “This planning statement supports a permission in principle application for residential development of up to nine dwellings with all details to be submitted at the technical details stage of the application.

“The site presents the opportunity for a form of small-scale development in a sustainable location from which local services and facilities can be reached by walking or by public transport.

“The proposal will see a positive contribution to housing supply at a time when there is a significant recognised shortfall. Under the August 2026 NPPF, the relevant national decision-making policy is Policy S4/S5, which supports appropriate development within settlements (or well related development out of settlement) unless the adverse effects would substantially outweigh the benefits.

“In this case, the benefits of delivering additional housing within Week St Mary, making efficient use of sustainably located parcel and supporting the settlement are not considered to be substantially outweighed by any adverse effects, subject to detailed design, landscape mitigation, drainage and ecological safeguards.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

The plans can be viewed on the Cornwall Council planning portal under reference PA26/07532.