Jonathan Griffin provides a summary of the results of our recent survey about development sites and explains how the results will be used.

Thank you to everyone who completed the recent survey asking you to suggest sites in Mylor Parish where affordable housing development would be acceptable, and sites where development should definitely not take place. We had 350 fully completed responses; a great result that provides us with a reliable sample for decision-making.

We asked people to choose two sites in Flushing and three in Mylor Bridge where they thought development could take place, and the same number of those which should be preserved. Some people said they did not know the ‘other village’ (either Flushing or Mylor Bridge) well enough to choose and some did not want to choose any development sites, only sites for ‘preservation’.

There was a remarkable degree of agreement on the few sites ‘favoured for development’ or ‘favoured for preservation’ in Flushing and Mylor Bridge North. Opinions were less clear cut for Mylor Bridge South and that is perhaps explained by people’s lack of knowledge of that area.

One extended site came top of the voting for development in Flushing: an extension to Tregew Meadows, running up to the corner where the five new houses are being built. There was a big emphasis in the responses that any development should not increase traffic flows through the village, and this site achieves that.

In Mylor Bridge the preferred option was to extend the Robert Rundle Way into the space at the north of the village but, importantly, not reaching the road because of the prominence and importance of Mylor Clump.

When it came to preservation, some were really stretched to think of only one or two sites, reflecting the fact that the whole Parish is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

What did stand out, though, was that specific scenic views were very important. Many of the sites seen as important to preserve were close to, or visible from, the sides of the river or creeks. For instance, it is hard to beat the view of the fields when standing in Church Road and looking across towards Mylor Bridge, or of Flushing seen from Falmouth. The importance of these scenic views was reflected in the results; unsurprising given that such views contribute so much to the character of our parish.

The next step will be to match the survey results with other work, especially the Landscape Character Assessment and Wildlife Survey which look in more detail at the surrounding countryside. I doubt many of us took bat flight paths into our consideration when we choose which sites to develop but we must think of such things in the Neighbourhood Development Plan.

A summary of the ‘headlines’ in the Plan is available here and you can also read them on the flyers and posters that are appearing around the parish in July and August.

For the full results follow this link.