LAUNCESTON Town Council is again considering whether to produce a neighbourhood plan.

Neighbourhood planning allows people to come together through a parish or town council and say where they think new houses, businesses and shops should go, and what they should look like.

Neighbourhood plans can be very simple, or go into considerable detail.

A neighbourhood plan that is accepted and adopted will have to be referred to by the Government, Cornwall Council and parish councils before planning decisions are made.

In 2015 the town council decided not to pursue putting together a neighbourhood plan, but it was brought up again last summer, when it was decided a working party of a few councillors would approach the neighbouring parishes, to see if they would be interested in joining in with the town council to produce a plan.

At the latest town council meeting on March 20, one of those councillors, Paul O’Brien, said: “Having been given this task back in July we took it upon ourselves to visit all the neighbouring parish councils — South Petherwin, Lawhitton, St Thomas and St Stephen [by Launceston Rural].” He explained St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish Council is ‘already miles ahead’ in producing its own neighbourhood plan, but offered the town council its assistance, should it be needed. Cllr O’Brien added they had no reply from South Petherwin, Lawhitton said it would be interested working in parallel with the town council, while St Thomas had said it ‘wasn’t interested’, although Cllr O’Brien noted in a recent report from the parish council, it may look again, after ‘support for the concept’ from Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor Adam Paynter.

Cllr O’Brien added: “We have now got to decide whether to go ahead with a neighbourhood plan.”

Cllr John Harris said: “We need to say, okay, move on from there and consider it as just the town itself. I honestly think it’s worth one last look. Just to dismiss it out of hand would be remiss.”

Cllr Sam Allen said: “I still feel strong consideration should be given [to producing a neighbourhood plan] even if the neighbouring parishes do not wish to work with us.”

However, other councillors were still keen that the parishes should be involved. Cllr Brian Hogan said: “There have been many discussions about this. I think we need to go back to the parishes again.”

Cllr Dave Gordon said: “We have been there before, at least twice. It’s been proved again the parishes aren’t interested. I think it’s really important to do the plan we need the parishes around us. I do think perhaps we give it one more final push — but how many times are we going to try this?”

The motion that ‘further feasibility work be undertaken by the working party into the neighbourhood plan’ was passed.