EACH week, hundreds of planning applications come before Cornwall Council’s planning department, seeking to win approval for various plans right across the Duchy.

These plans can comprise of a number of different reasonings– ranging from permission to replace windows or listed building consent ranging up to large house building developments or changing of use of a building, for instance, from an office to a café, or flats.

Within this large and often complex system, there are a number of formats from which planning advice and approval can be sought.

These range from full applications where all the details which comprise a proposed development or work to a building are submitted, to outline applications, where further details are yet to be confirmed, for example, an outline application with reserved matters for appearance may not confirm the final proposed development but rather seek permission in principle.

An example of this is one for an outline permission for 20 dwellings on land with reserved matters for appearance and scale; the reserved matters would require further permission later for their inclusion.

Other types of applications include pre-application advice requests, where would-be developers submit often outline proposals to a local authority to ascertain whether it is likely to gain support or not prior to submitting a planning application.

The vast majority of applications are decided by planning officers employed by a local authority under ‘delegated powers’, meaning they do so on behalf of their employer, however, some applications are ‘called in’ by local councillors to be discussed at an area’s strategic planning committee meeting, meaning the final decision rests with a committee of councillors.

PA23/01085: An application for outline planning consent with some matters reserved for the erection of up to 10 open market residential units and 4 affordable houses and associated works has been approved by Cornwall Council.

The application, made by Mrs Lisa Thomas, concerns land south of Kensey Haye Road, in Callington.

In the submitted design and access statement, those behind the plans stated: “This outline application is for the creation of 14no new dwellings on a ‘rounding-off’ site on the western edge of Callington.

“The proposals are for ten open market houses and four affordable houses.

(This comprises) two two-bedroom, four person open market houses, two two-bedroom four-person affordable rented houses, one three-bedroom, six person affordable rented house, one three-bedroom, five person affordable shared ownership houses and eight three-bedroom, six person open market houses.

“The Site is located to the South of Haye Road, with a new access to be created at the existing junction with Frogwell Road. The rear of residential properties in Haye Road & Colmers Lane surround the site to the North & East.

“To the Northwest is a small Linhay, also owned by the applicant, with land enclosed by a stone wall. To the South is an area of dense semi-mature woodland and Cornish hedge bank with supported tall mature hedgerows enclose the South and West boundaries of the site.

“Beyond that, to the Southwest, is open countryside characterised by relatively small fields subdivided by hedgerows and stone walls.

“The existing site is currently used for grazing livestock and the ground generally falls away to the South-West of the site.

“The North & East boundaries are characterised by the rear of existing residential properties that sit at the high point, with the ground then dropping away within the site.

“These properties are single storey on the North boundary and a mix of single and two storeys on the East boundary.”

Callington Town Council were one of the objectors to the proposal. They responded to the consultation by stating: “Callington Town Councillors refused the application on the grounds of visibility for drivers due to parking, increased footfall for such a small area including lack of pavement and added pressure on the infrastructure.

“There were seven votes to refuse, one against and one abstention.”

In their consultation response, the NHS requested a developer contribution of £3,350 towards creating the necessary infrastructure. This comprised of 10 contributions of £335 for the open market developments, with no contribution required where affordable housing is created.

There were also ten objections from nearby residents, mostly due to fears of congestion in the area and the loss of livestock grazing land.

The plans were approved by Cornwall Council’s planning committee, as opposed to being signed off by an officer under delegated powers after it was called in to be reviewed by the committee.

A number of conditions were attached to the awarding of planning approval. The first of these was a stipulation that an application for approval of reserved matters (that is, parts of the design not approved in the plans submitted for outline approval) must be made within three years. The condition stated that the development hereby approved after the approval of reserved matters must commence no later than two years from the final approval of the last matter to be approved.

Other conditions concerned aspects of the proposed development, namely the implementation of the surface water drainage systems, and a biodiversity gain report with a monitoring report submitted to the council in the years of two, five, ten, twenty and thirty from commencement of development.

This was in addition to no development taking place until proposals for highway works, including a proposed access road, ecological mitigation measures, incorporation of bat boxes and bee bricks of at least one per dwelling, street lighting and alterations to the affordable houses proposed.

PA24/01002: PROPOSALS for six shepherd’s huts together with the relocation of previously approved cabins near Liskeard has been approved by Cornwall Council.

The application, by Mr M Daw, concerns The Green, Netherton, Upton Cross, Liskeard. The site is currently used as a venue for conducting and celebrating weddings.

It was approved by Cornwall Council subject to a number of conditions related to the use of the shepherd’s huts, which are intended to comprise of holiday or rental units.

The first of these was a condition that the number of shepherd’s hut at the site will not exceed six, to enable the local planning authority to retain control over the intensification of the use of the land which could harm the amenities of the area in accordance with the aims and intentions set out within the Cornwall local plan strategic policies.

Other conditions stipulated included the huts not being replaced by any other structure or caravan differing from the approved detail. In addition, once no longer required for the use hereby approved, the shepherd’s huts are to be permanently removed from the site within one year of the approved use ending, in the interests of visual amenities in the area.

It is also only permitted to be used as guest or holiday accommodation in association with the existing business at ‘The Green’ only and not to be occupied as a person’s sole or main place of residence. The owners or operators shall maintain an up-to-date register of the names of the owners or occupiers on each individual unit on the site, and of their main home addresses, as well as making this information available at all reasonable times to the local planning authority.

This condition is to accord with the development plan housing policies under which permanent residential accommodation would not be permitted on the site and the accommodation, by reason of its construction and design is unsuitable for continuous occupation and in accordance with the aims and intentions of policies one, seven and twelve of the Cornwall Local Plan strategic policies 2010 to 2030.

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