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Neighbours in a seaside village are furious over plans for more luxury homes on a clifftop dubbed "millionaire's row". Plans for extra housing had been thrown out after vigorous opposition from locals in the picturesque Cornish fishing village, Mevagissey.

A famous film location and hotspot for celebrity visitors, including Tom Cruise, some residents say the village is now virtually "unaffordable" as local first-time buyers are pushed out by soaring prices and an influx of second home owners. Villagers have united in fury over a fresh bid to build up to eight houses on a site near Mevagissey Community Primary School. Among those objecting is former parish council member, Garth Shephard.

He said: "The proposal put forward was to cherry pick the best and most scenic site in the village in order to build expensive million-pound houses. The scenic beauty of Mevagissey is for everybody, not to be selective amongst the wealthiest people."

Westcountry Land Enterprises (SW) Ltd applied for permission in principle for the development and the matter was discussed by Cornwall Council's central area planning committee earlier this month.

Concerns were raised about the impact on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and a lack of affordable housing. The entire village of Mevagissey lies within the National Landscape jurisdiction.

Planning officers had recommended approval, acknowledging a previous appeal where an inspector found loss of the site to development would not cause significant harm. But during a meeting councillors voted against it with the chair casting a deciding vote.

Mr Shephard, who moved to Mevagissey in 2009, said more needed to be done to help locals. He said: "Mevagissey is a thriving coastal village which is very attractive to second home owners. Now over a quarter of homes in Mevagissey are second homes.

"This means for local people it is very expensive to get a home, even if it's an affordable home, because affordable homes are priced in relation to the local market value."

He added: "A detached house in Mevagissey is on average over half a million pounds already so you will see how difficult it is for those people who wish to make a living, largely in the fishing and hospitality trades, to be able to remain to live there."

The local said a nearby house built in 2018 by the same developer sold in 2021 for £1.2million. He added: "There is no local need for new houses like these, which capitalise on sea views to generate profitability from high selling prices."

He said the construction of "unwanted" million-pound clifftop houses would do nothing to satisfy local demand and come at the expense of the environment.

Mr Shephard added while those buying the properties would pay Cornwall Council taxes, they wouldn't be in the village long enough to assimilate with the community.

He said Mevagissey would be in danger of becoming a "lights out village" in winter when second home owners head elsewhere.

Michael Roberts, who chairs Mevagissey Parish Council, said the body has "consistently and vigorously" objected to all the developer's bids to build on the clifftop, which he described as "a millionaire's row".

He added: "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 there were seven affordable houses provided, they failed to mention one sold for about £500,000 not long ago."

Applicant, Justin Dodge, told planning committee members: "The country is in the midst of a severe housing crisis and significant changes to national planning policy last year mean Cornwall cannot demonstrate a five-year housing land supply. With this in mind, there is a presumption in favour of development."

He added the developer had finally received Cornwall Council planning officers' support to develop the site next to a previously successful housing scheme his company had built.

Mr Dodge said the land was an "obvious development site". He argued the site being within the National Landscape was no reason to refuse, adding: "The assertion our scheme will be a skyline development is a fallacy.

"This is a modest permission in principle application - it falls below the threshold of major development and, as such, it is permissible within the AONB."

Mevagissey's harbour has appeared in films, including Johnny Frenchman (1945), Never Let Me Go (1953) with Clark Gable, Dracula (1979), Bad Education (2015), and the 2025 thriller, Playing Nice. Tom Cruise was spotted visiting the bay in recent years.