Plans to site storage containers in a Newquay nature reserve have been refused

CONTROVERSIAL plans to site storage containers in a Newquay nature reserve have been unanimously rejected.

Treloggan Industrial Estate’s Prow Park Business Village has seen a retrospective change of land use for parking, storage and the siting of storage containers at Trencreek Meadows.

Bedowan Meadows and Trencreek residents are angry that the owners of Prow Park have removed trees and vegetation from the site during the bird nesting season in April 2022 and installed around 20 storage containers and parked cars on the site without planning permission.

Cornwall Council’s central planning committee rejected the planning application by nine votes to zero, following concerns about the damage the development would have on the land.

Campaigners have now reiterated their calls for Cornwall Council, which owns around 65% of the land, to give it to the community so wildlife habitat can be restored.

Resident Andy Keast said: “It will make a difference that the council turned down the application but it makes no difference to the state of the site.

“Nothing prevents the applicant from challenging the decision or making another planning application. This is the concern.

“Until the council stops selling the land and gives it back to the community, there will always be a risk of the land being destroyed, some of which has already been destroyed.

“It’s a terrible situation. Where we used to look outside our property, there were trees full of squirrels, there were species of birds and deer. It was full of wild animals. All that has been cut and all we can see are shipping containers.

“The council’s planning officer has previously stated that there is nothing they can do while there is a live planning application, so now therefore they should force the applicant to put back what they have done.

“But Cornwall Council owns 65% of the land and they are desperate to sell it to the claimant, so they have had a vested interest all along.”

Councilor John Fitter said: “Members were concerned about the harm this type of development at this location would cause, bearing in mind that many residents had raised major concerns about the removal of trees and vegetation from this site before submitting the application. .

“They were also informed that part of the site remained in the ownership of Cornwall Council and noted that the application had been challenged by Newquay Borough Council.

“When I spoke for the refusal, I emphasized that the authority together with Newquay Town Council and the owner of Prow Park needed to jointly agree a master plan for this area, in part to avoid this kind of conflict with neighbours.”