SHOCK proposals for a new housing development in Callington could increase the town's population by 10 per cent, a councillor has claimed.
Cornwall councillor Andrew Long, said neither residents nor the town council, on which he also sits, had been told of the proposals, and he has now urged the developers to hold a public meeting to discuss the plans for a development of 200 houses.
Mr Long said he had found a pre-planning application lodged with Cornwall Council by Exeter planning consultancy Bell Cornwell. The site is to the west of South Hill Road, almost opposite the fire station, and includes the old South West Water site.
"This has come as quite a shock, as the number of houses proposed equals 50 per cent of the proposed housing requirements under the emerging Core Strategy over the next 20 years for the whole of the Community Network area," he said.
"This will obviously cause concern to the population considering the fact that Callington Community College is full to capacity already with more than 1,400 students and any future developments would require major capital works on increasing the size of the college.
"This housing development could add 600 people to the town's population and I have written to the company suggesting that, as soon as the pre-application phase is completed, they hold an urgent public meeting so they can inform all of us of their proposals, including what benefit in infrastructure the community would expect if an application was successful."
The application is the latest of a number of schemes in the area, including the Churchills development in Church Street which has just gained planning consent.
Several other proposals are at an early stage and planning permission could be sought for these in the near future.
Mr Long said the company had now agreed to discuss its plans with the town council, but he had not yet heard whether the developer was prepared to hold a public meeting. No one from Bell Cornwell was available for comment as the Cornish Guardian went to press.