A planning committee has approved outline planning permission for more than 40 new homes in an area where a woman died as a result of a landslip 11 years ago. Looe councillor Armand Toms, who is passionately against the proposals, said he had no confidence that a similar tragedy would not happen again.
The Diocese of Truro, which owns the land in Looe, and Looe LVA LLP sought permission to build 43 houses, including 13 affordable homes, opposite Salter Close, above roads which have been previously hit by landslips.
Looe Town Council, which opposed the plan, highlighted the landslide risk in its report to Cornwall Council's planning department, including comments made by a coroner following the death of Susan Norman in 2013. Susan was killed when her home on Sandplace Road was engulfed in mud and rubble after 72 hours of heavy rain.
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The coroner noted that Cornwall Council did not listen to regular, consistent and frustrated complaints by the local residents and said: "I can do no more than submit a warning of the possibilities that may lie ahead if further weight is placed upon the area [and] if further disruption is caused to the ground and water table on the site.”
Speaking at a meeting of the council's east area planning committee in Bodmin, (Monday, July 8), Dan Yates, planning agent on behalf of the applicants, said it was a high quality scheme which would deliver much-needed open market and affordable housing in an area already allocated for housing in the Neighbourhood Plan. There are currently 221 households in the area on the council's waiting list.
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"We recognise concerns have been expressed locally over drainage and ground stability," said Mr Yates, adding that assessments had resulted in satisfactory results. He said there would be no water run-off flowing on to St Martin's Road.
Mr Yates added: "Contrary to some public concerns claiming our soakaway testing was undertaken during dry months, it was in fact undertaken in the wet months, including one of the wettest Octobers on record. The work is therefore robust and supported by the lead local flood authority." He stressed the application was supported by all relevant consultees at Cornwall Council.
However, local member Armand Toms, who ensured the application was discussed by committee rather than decided by officers, wasn't happy.
He told the meeting: "There have been seven incidents at the bottom of this road where there have been landslips or water running through properties, and we know of a death." Cllr Toms didn't believe the water run-off issue had been considered properly in the plans.
"Go there, see how wet that land is. Where they're proposing to build this is just below where the water ran out of the hedge and down the road, which led to that tragic incident."
He said a nearby sewage tank often spills, which has affected nearby residents' homes and gardens. "Nothing in this report gives me confidence to say these problems won't be solved. This is wrong - a house is going to be demolished because of a landslip down there. We've got an instance where somebody died and yet no one can give me an assurance. I don't think we can say with any confidence it won't happen again. I see problem after problem after problem.
"I feel passionately that this should be refused on the grounds that it is too much in one area and the infrastructure there will not cope - it doesn't cope now."
Concerns were raised by councillors about a lack of evidence about the stability of the land, but they were reminded many of the issues raised could be tackled in more detail at the reserved matters stage if the outline proposal was approved.
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Cllr Andrew Long said: "This is an outline application with all matter reserved, apart from access. I find it very difficult to find a policy reason for objecting because the drainage, water run-off, sewerage, all the other issues which may well scupper this application at a reserved matters stage is to come in the future and will need to be challenged and assessed."
Cllr John Fitter added: "We should have dug in for more information before accepting it as an outline application. I think we've failed the people of Looe and the objectors because we have not had in front of us reinforced evidence that they will not have another disaster of the sort they had."
"We should be very seriously conscious of things that have gone on in the past. It is a serious worry about the run-off and sewage outfall into the river. It's something that's very precious to Looe and the community. I think this committee needs to be very careful about the decision we make today with the lack of information," said Cllr Jane Pascoe.
Despite some councillors' misgivings, the outline application was approved.
