CORNWALL Council is investigating possible uses for a strip of land near Launceston Hospital after the NHS decided to sell it off to the highest bidder.

The NHS was due to auction the land by the Link Road on October 26, but Cornwall Council stepped in and halted the sale by registering as an interested buyer.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Jade Farrington, who represents the area on Cornwall Council, asked people to contact her with ideas for the site which the council could realistically take forward if it bought the land.

Cllr Farrington said: “Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with possible uses for the land. The expected £100,000 price tag unfortunately rules a lot of things out, but Cornwall Council is exploring each economically viable suggestion in order to ensure the land is used for the good of the town.”

People have asked if Launceston Medical Centre could rent the land for extra parking until their expansion plans go ahead and they have more car parking. This is now being looked at by the partners who run Launceston Medical Centre to see if it is something they wish to pursue.

Others have suggested it could be used for adapted housing to meet local needs.

Town councillor John Conway said: “At Launceston Town Council, Adam Paynter mentioned a need for housing for people with medical needs. This site would be ideal due to the proximity of medical services, and ten residences and would give a land cost of £10,000 per home.”

Cllr Paynter, who represents Launceston North and North Petherwin, said the site was too small for an extra care facility as they are a minimum of 30 units, but the council would submit what is known as a ‘pre-app’ to see whether a small supported living scheme for people with additional needs would be possible in planning terms. 

He added: “Cornwall Council is exploring every avenue to ensure this land is used for the benefit of the people of Launceston. If you have a suggestion which you believe is economically viable then please get in touch so it can be explored.”

Cornwall Council is instructing a valuer to agree price and terms, as well as reviewing conveyancing information. The council is determined to see the land used to provide necessary facilities for the people of Launceston instead of being sold to a private housing developer.

However, town councillor Val Bugden-Causey said although she is pleased the land was withdrawn from auction she hopes Cornwall Council ‘engages openly’ and discusses with the public how ‘they might use this land should they proceed to purchase’.

She said: “Our local MP, Scott Mann, wrote to the KCCG [Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group] on October 17, questioning the auction of this piece of land and then again to the chief executive of Cornwall Council on October 23.

“In both cases Mr Mann questioned the sale and in addition suggested that whilst there is a restrictive covenant in place on any land related to this area that it would be pertinent to consider using this land for free parking for NHS staff or patients or indeed building affordable housing for our hard working nurses and health staff.

“This would help to resolve on going issues with the parking situation generally on site and help address the recruitment and retention issues that local NHS services face.”

Cllr Bugden-Cawsey said she had been ‘alarmed’ to read the statement of Cllr Paynter in last week’s Post that ‘Cornwall Council knew nothing about the sale of this piece of land’.

She said: “It had been reported elsewhere, via a Freedom of Information Act request, that the timeline surrounding the sale of this patch of land clearly shows that it was raised to the chief executive of Cornwall Council, who is also chair of the STP [Sustainability and Transformation Partnership], back in July as part of the process that NHS Property Services have to follow in identifying land that is surplus to requirements.”

She added: “We now read that Cornwall Council have expressed an interest in this land even though back in July they had acknowledged that it was surplus to requirements.”