Par Care Home Appeal Rejected as Residents Win Planning Battle

Victory for Par Residents as Controversial Care Home Appeal Dismissed

The tight-knit community of Par is breathing a collective sigh of relief this week after a government planning inspector officially dismissed an appeal to build a massive, four-storey care home on St Andrews Road. The controversial proposal by Cornwallis Care Services Ltd sought to demolish the existing Hendra Court care home and replace it with a dominant 64-bed facility. For months, the quiet lanes of our village were adorned with handmade protest signs declaring ‘No mass development’ and ‘Too big 4 here.’ Local anger was palpable, culminating in a staggering 213 objections lodged on Cornwall Council’s planning portal—with not a single comment submitted in support. When the council initially rejected the scheme last autumn on the grounds of its overbearing scale, residents celebrated. However, the subsequent appeal by the developers kept the neighborhood in a state of anxious limbo. This final decision by the Planning Inspectorate represents a monumental victory for grassroots community campaigning, proving that the voices of local people can successfully safeguard the character of our historic coastal villages against unsympathetic, oversized developments.

The Battle of Scale vs. Vital Social Infrastructure

At the heart of this planning battle lies a difficult tension: the desperate need for specialized dementia care in Cornwall versus the preservation of local residential amenity. Stuart Clarkson, managing director of Cornwallis Care Services, argued passionately that the project was critical. With an aging demographic across the Tywardreath and Par parish—where nearly one in four residents lives with a long-term illness—there is an undeniable shortage of local nursing beds. However, the proposed four-storey block was deemed a step too far. Planning Inspector C Rose visited the site to assess the situation firsthand. While the inspector found no overall harm to the wider landscape’s appearance, the impact on immediate neighbors was judged unacceptable. Specifically, the Inspector highlighted the severe loss of privacy and outlook for the occupants of ‘Woodside,’ a neighboring property that would have been completely overshadowed by the towering new structure. This decision underscores a vital planning principle: even the most socially beneficial projects cannot be built at the direct expense of existing residents’ basic living conditions and wellbeing.

What Lies Ahead for Our Community and Future Developments

So, what happens next for the Hendra Court site and the wider Par community? While many visitors go to Newquay or Fistral Beach to experience Cornwall’s bustling, high-density tourism hubs, residents in the St Austell bay area cherish their quieter, more suburban pace of life. This ruling protects that quiet character, but the challenge of providing adequate local elderly care remains unsolved. Cornwallis Care Services may choose to go back to the drawing board to design a much smaller, more sensitive scheme that respects the scale of neighbouring bungalows. Local residents must remain vigilant and active in parish planning meetings to ensure any future proposals align with the Tywardreath and Par Neighbourhood Plan. This saga shows that early, united community action works. To stay informed about future planning applications, traffic diversions, or community consultations in our area, residents are encouraged to regularly check the local public notices and participate in community forum debates. Our village’s future shape is in our hands, and staying engaged is the best way to protect the place we call home.

Source: Appeal decided over hated care home ‘too big for here’ plan