I want to highlight the mass opposition of the NDP (Neighbourhood Development Plan), particularly in the Calstock parish. A vast majority of the local people feel this is a poor policy that is likely to come into effect this November.

There are many local families who have lived in the village for generations. They have strived to build individually designed homes, but this policy will eliminate anything other than housing estates. The mass construction of housing estates have encouraged people from further afield to live in and enjoy this area of outstanding natural beauty. However, this policy has also meant it has been harder for local people to stay in anything other than mass produced homes or ‘affordable homes’, if they are even lucky enough to purchase them.

The whole reason for the villages in Cornwall to have a designation of an outstanding natural beauty is their individuality and character. This will be eradicated and spoilt by the construction of only large housing estates to the detriment of anyone wishing to construct individually designed property, which will be prohibited for around ten years.

This appears to be counterintuitive as the reason people are attracted to live in our beautiful villages is because they are small, quirky and individual. The mass construction will be a blight in our smaller communities turning them all into bland homologous habitats.

The NDP will stop any construction until 2030 which in turn will make living in Calstock an exclusivity, as well as driving house prices up.

This policy needs to be voted out if younger people and locals have any chance of living in their ancestral village.

I have spoken to numerous local people about this issue. It appears they had not been notified of any talks on the NDP previously.

This petition is to emphasise the poor policy of the NDP and to highlight the lack of publicity notifying the residents of its intentions.

Keep locals local!