PLANS for a 15-room student house on a busy crossroads have been recommended for refusal by Falmouth town councillors after a neighbour told them it would destroy his privacy.
Pendennis Property has applied to Cornwall Council to demolish a building at 1 Trescobeas Road, opposite Falmouth Community Hospital, and build a three-storey property with a communal kitchen.
At a meeting on Monday members of the town council's planning committee and residents expressed concerns over parking, privacy, congestion and overdevelopment on what is already a busy corner.
Councillor Steve Eva said it would affect traffic from the hospital, the health centre and the Rosslyn Hotel. "Looking at Trescobeas, I think putting something that big there is just a little too much," he said. "It's in the wrong place. It's far too big for where it is."
The proposal was not in keeping with the area and would affect the privacy of residents of Tresco Place, he said.
Councillor Oliver Cramp said: "There's clearly a problem with traffic; it's a difficult corner and heavily congested already." In addition, the property would "seriously overlook" other homes.
Richard Shapland, who has lived nearby for 53 years, objected in the "strongest possible terms" because of the adverse effects on parking, noise and privacy.
"The narrow side road, Tresco Place, has in the past been blocked with parked cars," he said. "This has prevented the use of the pavement by pedestrians and caused problems for utility vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines and refuse trucks.
"It has also caused us problems when trying to enter or leave our property by car. Parking will bring problems of road safety and traffic."
The existing building houses Door Solutions and a seven-bedroom student house.
Mr Shapland said: "The noise levels at the moment are acceptable but the increase in the number of units is almost certain to cause noise levels to rise, particularly as the tenement windows are facing our property.
"We have always enjoyed complete privacy in the garden on the south side of our property, but that privacy will be lost if the tenement is built which we will find very upsetting."
In its application Pendennis Property said: "The design is not expected to cause any loss of amenity, with much of the rear garden space maintained, and given the orientation of the neighbouring buildings and location of windows raises no concern for overlook."
The plan would make more student accommodation available and "make use of under-utilised land", it said. "Development of the site would create increased utility and provide a small input to the local economy, initially through the construction phase and subsequently through occupation as student accommodation."
The committee resolved to recommend that Cornwall Council refuses the application.
