A clifftop "millionaire's row" has descended into a row over plans to build eight new houses.
The coastal site in Cornwall's protected National Landscape was intended to be developed by Westcountry Land Enterprises, which applied for permission in principle for the homes.
Conservative Councillor James Mustoe raised concerns about the impact the Mevagissey development would have on the National Landscape and lack of affordable housing.
The whole of the Cornish village is within the National Landscape jurisdiction, and considered one of the more popular tourist spots in the county.
Planning officers recommended approval, having taken into account the findings of a previously-dismissed planning appeal for the site, of which the inspector said the loss would not cause significant harm to the National Landscape.
While the council's own landscape teams believed it would cause harm, it was determined that the need for more housing outweighed that.
Garth Shepard, a former member of the parish council and a Mevagissey resident, said the village did not need the new homes and warned that the construction would be in a very prominent location.
He said: "A nearby house built in 2018 by the same developer sold in 2021 for £1.2million.
"There is no local need for new houses like these, which capitalise on sea views to generate profitability from high selling prices.
PICTURED: The harbour of Cornish village Mevagissey
|WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
"The construction of unwanted million-pound clifftop houses does nothing to satisfy local need and would come at the expense of the natural environment."
The chairman of the Mevagissery Parish Council, Councillor Michael Roberts, said the group had "consistently and vigorously objected" to the developer's attempts to "cover the clifftop site with expensive houses, now known as a millionaire's row".
He said: "Their first application was granted on appeal. Unfortunately, Mevagissey Neighbourhood Plan had not been adopted at this time, so the inspector was unable to take it into consideration.
"While their planning statement states that there were seven affordable houses provided, they failed to mention one sold for about £500,000 not long ago."
MORE PLANNING ROWS:
The whole of Mevagissey is located within the Cornwall National Landscape, preserving its natural beauty
|WIKIMEDIA
He added that the latest planning proposal was an attempt to "take advantage of Government changes" to build expensive houses.
"Together with second homes and holiday lets, it's not more expensive houses we need, but truly affordable ones," Mr Roberts said.
He said the parish council was unlikely to approve any homes on the coastline even if they were all affordable homes.
Reform UK Councillor Steve Trevelyan argued that Cornwall was being "loaded" with affordable housing, saying people also wanted higher-end homes.
Mr Roberts responded by saying the village already had higher end homes available to buy.
Applicant Justin Dodge said the the development needed to be done as the country was in a "severe housing crisis".
He added that the land was an "obvious development site", arguing that it fell below the threshold of major development and would not drastically alter the National Landscape.
But Tory Mr Mustoe said it was a "prominent site" and described the debate as a "microcosm of what is going on across Cornwall at the moment".
A vote to approve the plans was tied four-four, with the committee chairman deciding to vote for refusal.
A second vote to refuse on the basis of harm to the National Landscape passed with four votes in favour, three against, and one abstention.