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.

PLANS to demolish a neglected historic building in Looe are unlikely to be approved, a developer has been told.

Advice was sought earlier this year for the demolition of Polvellan Manor and the construction of five houses on the site.

Cornwall’s planning department has now responded. While they recognise the poor state of the building and the high cost of its refurbishment, they say the harm to Looe’s heritage and the conservation setting would likely be considered too great to allow the scheme to go through.

Polvellan is located prominently above the Millpool, but semi-hidden from view by woodland. The property has fallen into a very sore state of neglect and disrepair.

Built in the Gothic style in the 1780s, it has been a private house, a maternity hospital, a hotel and a school. Most recently a nursing home, it has stood empty since 1995.

Its current condition is described as thus: “Polvellan House stands in its own grounds overlooking Millpool car park within West Looe. Originally built in the 1780's it is a large Gothic building that has been added to and remodelled in the 19th and 20th Centuries. It is located within the Looe Conservation Area and identified as a key building. The ornamental gardens have become overgrown and now contains many mature trees. The building itself currently lies in an abandoned derelict state.”

Previous plans to bring the manor back to its former glory have not progressed to fruition.

Polvellan is currently owned by the company Polvellan Looe Ltd, whose directors are Robert Shimwell, Jordan Shimwell and Jason Tucker.

There now looks set to be a stalemate between the applicant and the council. The applicant argues that the building is simply too expensive to retain, whereas the council says that the building is too valuable in heritage terms to lose.

The applicant says: “Renovation and improvement of Polvellan Manor would be possible, but this would be at a cost that will not be viable commercially.

“Demolition and sensitive redevelopment of the site to serve local needs is a more rational and pragmatic approach, with due regard to the setting in a Conservation Area and woodland.”

The applicant warns that “it is entirely foreseeable that the property will remain in its current derelict condition” if it’s not knocked down.

But Looe’s Neighbourhood Plan says that Polvellan is important to the town’s history. It sets out that any plans for the property “should retain the 18th/19th century appearance of Polvellan House and enhance its heritage value”.

Cornwall’s Historic Environment Planning (HEP) officer also strongly recommends that the property is retained within any new development.

While the building is not listed, it is classed as a “heritage asset” and therefore has a certain amount of protection around it, under both national and Cornwall planning policy. National policy states that “heritage assets are an irreplaceable resource and should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, so that they can be enjoyed by future generations”.

Meanwhile Cornwall Council's Climate Emergency plan places an emphasis on the re-use of existing buildings before constructing new ones, says the HEP officer.

The Cornish Buildings Group acts to raise awareness of the county’s historic buildings and campaigns for their protection. Polvellan Manor has been part of its ‘Buildings at Risk’ project for some years, and the group has tried – and failed – to have the building listed. The panel behind this decision said that the building had lost almost all of its original architectural merit due to alterations made in the 20th century.

In the advice issued to the applicant by Cornwall Council, a planning officer wrote: “It is fully recognised that the subject building is in a poor state of repair and its retention and conversion would present a challenging development with regards to viability. It is however noted that it would appear that the building has suffered from neglect and lack of maintenance, contributing to its current state, and should not be a determining factor in its demolition.

“In accordance with paragraph 216 of the NPPF, it is evident that the non-designated heritage asset has a high degree of significance due to its age, historic association with Looe, its setting and therefore the scale of harm resulting from its demolition would also be significant.

“Further, the proposal would result in the loss of an important part of the Looe Conservation Area, where, in addition to the requirements CLP and NDP policies, the desirability of preserving and enhancing the character and appearance of Conservation Areas and their settings should be given special attention in accordance with section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

“Demolition of the Manor would result in harm to the designated and non-designated heritage assets, would attract significant weight in the balance of considerations and would unlikely to be supported at application stage.”

AN application for the installation of a driveway at a 17th century property in St Neot has been refused by Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Permission was sought for the creation of an off street parking space with an EV charging point at a property on Lampen Terrace, Church View, St Neot.

It would also have featured a disabled ramp to allow the elderly couple easier access to the car.

Refusing the application, Cornwall Council’s planning department told the applicants: “The proposal would be harmful to the aesthetic significance of the property and wider terrace and would erode the character and appearance of the Conservation Area through the loss of this strong boundary feature and the enclosed effect it has upon the street scene. Although the harm would be less than substantial, there is no clear and convincing justification that there are public benefits that would outweigh the harm identified. As such, it is considered that the less than substantial harm to the character, appearance and setting of the Conservation Area would outweigh the public benefits of the proposal.”

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