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.

A plan has been submitted for change of use permission to change the Grade II listed Old Lifeboat Station on The Quay at Looe into a rum distillery.

Le Page Architects were approached by the custodians, East Looe Town Trust, to house a distillery and bar for Penrock Distillery Ltd. A statement says: “The Grade 2 listed Old Lifeboat Station (OLS) has now been the subject of restoration and refurbishment of the fabric and Mechanical & Electrical systems (due for completion 31st March 2025).

“The Trust’s vision has always been to offer a high quality space that would allow a local business to take up a long term tenancy. The Penrock Business would offer such to the space with the installation of the stills and the high quality joinery work proposed for the bar area.

“The building is located within the East Looe Conservation Area and an Area of Great Landscape Value. It is also within the Cornwall coastal vulnerability zone.

They added in the submission: “The Old Lifeboat Station already has approval to update and renovate its internal and external spaces , the additional structures and signage needed to run this Rum Distilling business from the space can be seen as a natural extension of the already approved works. All proposals are reversable , meaning that if needed, can be removed bringing the former Lifeboat space back to that of Listed Building Consent ( PA23/04995).

“The proposals retain the already approved accessible WC and level access threshold to the main external doors. The assessable kitchenette is also to be retained. The scheme therefore does not alter the access to or within the building.

For more details see application PA24/09542.

An application for a lawful development certificate to confirm that work on a development in Callington has commenced.

It concerns an approved application for a lawful development certificate for the proposed demolition of a dwelling with a replacement comprising of a proposed care home and assisted living units at Little Court, 56 Saltash Road, Callington has commenced.

The stipulation dictated that work on the plans had to commence within a year of the planning application being approved, namely December 21, 2024.

Now, the applicants for the scheme, Mr F and Miss L Richards, are seeking a lawful development certificate to confirm that development begun prior to the date stipulated.

In their application, they told Cornwall Council: “A Certificate of Lawfulness is sought to confirm that works pursuant to planning application PA23/08410 have lawfully commenced, for the purposes of Section 56 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, within the approved timeframe and therefore the development is extant.

“Condition 1 of application PA23/08410 states that: The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the 21st December 2024 The evidence submitted within this submission clearly demonstrates that works were carried out in November and December.

“Condition 7 states that: No development, or site preparation prior to development which has any effect on the trees on site shall take place within the site until the applicant (or their agents or successors in title) has erected the tree protective fencing in accordance with the details contained in the Arboricultural Method statement submitted as part of application PA18/02300.

“Such tree protection fencing shall be retained and maintained until the completion of the development. At no time shall any works in connection with the development, including storage, access, cement mixing, bonfires, excavations or other level changes occur within the protected area. Reason: To ensure the continued vitality and viability of the trees on site, in accordance with Policy 23 of the Cornwall Local Plan 2016. A Record of Site Arboricultural Monitoring from Empire Trees and Garden Service (the development’s longstanding arboricultural consultant) confirms that Kevin Johnson visited the site on the October 21, 2024, with the prime contractor to confirm and set out the parameters for tree protection fencing.

“On the November 22, 2024, there is confirmation of specification and placement of root protection fencing. The requirements of condition 7 have therefore been fulfilled. The description of the development includes the demolition of the existing of dwelling. The site photographs submitted clearly show that the dwelling has been demolished. The development was ‘set out’ by Cornish Engineering Surveys, as shown in site photograph one. Site photographs two and three show that a trench has been excavated and concrete foundations laid.

“The letter from the Cornwall Council Building Control confirms that on December 6 the site was visited and that first stage foundation excavations dug out ready for concreting. The evidence submitted clearly demonstrates that the development has commenced in accordance with approved application PA23/0841 before the December 21, 2024.”

“The evidence submitted clearly demonstrates the development has commenced in accordance with approved application PA23/0841 before December 2024 and as such a certificate should be issued.”

The plans can be viewed under reference PA24/09740.

Plans have been submitted to refurbish Grade II listed Liskeard Guildhall, originally the meeting place of Liskeard Borough Council.

The project has been funded by Good Growth Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Shared Prosperity Fund – Community Capacity Fund

The town council has set out a detailed brief for the project, seeking to rejuvenate the interior spaces and the former ground floor colonnade in a way that is sensitive to the existing building and secures a sustainable use for its future in the town centre.

The proposed scheme includes essential repair and maintenance of the building along with new electrics and redecoration throughout. In addition, the ground floor commercial space is to be re-ordered with installation of a passenger lift up to the first floor to provide disabled access to the main hall. Installation of new accessible toilets and facilities are also proposed to serve both the commercial and main hall spaces.

For more details see application PA24/09622

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