The "contentious" issue of affordable housing attracted a large number of people to a meeting of Mawnan Smith parish council on Thursday.

A 40-strong audience packed the Memorial Hall to hear a report on the progress of an application to build six affordable homes in the village.

Among them were members of "Mawnan Self Build Group," which has put in the application to build on a plot of land at Castle View Park.

The 13 first time buyers live and work locally but have been unable to afford properties in the area. Also present was owner of the land: Ann Matthews.

Council chairman Denis Gartside said the subject of affordable housing was one of the "most contentious issues" the council had dealt with in a long time.

"There's a real need for local needs housing in the village as you can see from the numbers here," he said. "The council is obviously very aware of concern."

Speaking in support of the application, one audience member said: "These youngsters don't want to make a fortune, they just want to live in the village they were born in, they just want a chance. The village is dying."

The meeting was told that Devon and Cornwall Housing Association had also put in a bid for funding to build four rented and four shared equity homes in the village.

Mr Gartside said a site had not been allocated and the proposal had yet to go to the planning authority.

It was agreed that the village needed a mixture of affordable homes and that it was not only the young who needed them but elderly people too.

But one councillor Richard South was forced to apologise after he described the development as a "ghetto".

The self build group was advised to form a committee and speak to Kerrier's planning department for the definitive answers to some of their questions on affordable homes. They wanted to now whether it was beneficial to be on the district housing register. Councillor Nigel Gilmore offered the group advice in his capacity as a volunteer with "planning aid."

Following the meeting, self build group member, Tim Lugg said: "I've lived here 30 years, my parents live in the village and I work from the village, yet I have to go somewhere else to live or rent somewhere."

Will Salisbury, father of Ben, another member of the self build group said: "We just want somewhere for our youngsters to live really. He's fifth generation in this village so it would be nice to see him stay here. If you're in agriculture, how can you afford to buy a £200,000 house? This is the only chance for youngsters really and it's an ideal site, especially from a farming point of view. It's going forward in the right way. We can only hope."

Ann Matthews added: "It would be a nice memory to my late husband if it came to something for the young people."