PLANS to build nine affordable homes in a village which some residents feared could be “frozen in time” have been given the go ahead.

A planning application to build the homes in Nancledra went before Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee yesterday. Planning officers had recommended that the plans be approved subject to conditions.

Under the development from Cornwall Community Land Trust (CCLT) five of the properties would be made available as affordable rent and the other four would be for intermediate sale or shared ownership.

The new homes would be built on land off Nancledra Hill with each home having two parking spaces.

Towednack Parish Council had objected to the application, with vice chairman Judith Evans telling the planning committee that it believed it was the wrong site for the development.

She said the council had to balance “housing need and protecting our environment”.

The parish councillor said the council had wanted to support the development but felt it couldn’t due to the location of the site and highway safety concerns.

She was also critical of a “media circus” which she said had been created by the applicants highlighting the concerns of people who wanted affordable housing in the village and claimed it had “no relevance” to the application.

Local Cornwall councillor Andrew Mitchell had asked for the application to go to the committee and last week said he was undecided on whether to support or oppose the plans.

When he addressed the committee yesterday he said he had decided that he would support the application due to the affordable housing it would provide.

However he said the parish council and the applicants had both presented “sound reasons” with their arguments for and against the plans.

He said a previous application on a different site in the village had had an element of open market housing, but as the new plans were for 100% affordable housing, they provided much more benefit.

Cllr Mitchell, who is also Cabinet member for housing at Cornwall Council, said the redesign of the proposals was a “huge improvement”.

He said it was a “shame” the plans were not supported by the parish council.

Cllr Mitchell added: “I have to say that I support the recommendation as the local member and I do support the provision of affordable homes in Nancledra.”

A proposal to approve planning permission was supported with nine votes in favour and three against with one abstention.

Speaking after the meeting Jenny Nankervis, head of the Nancledra Housing Working Party, said: “Lots of work has finally paid off to get these houses built for local people to be able to live in the village and to come back and enjoy the area.”

CCLT said it hoped work could start on the new homes by the end of this year.

Jennifer Hawkins, from CCLT, said anyone interested in the new homes should act quickly.

She said: “We will be holding further public events as the development progresses. But now is the time for people with a local connection to register on Help to Buy South West and Cornwall Home Choice to qualify for a home. If anyone needs help and advice they should get in touch with us Cornwall Community Land Trust.”