A THEATRE school in Launceston is at risk of being shut down by Cornwall Council after they refused a planning application to include D2 building status.

McQueen’s Dance and Theatre School, which is based on Pennygillam Industrial Estate in Launceston and led by Mark and Rachel Oles, is a training facility for people of all ages and abilities to partake in a huge range of arts, theatre and circus classes. With its diverse variety of skills training, McQueen’s also helps springboard young people into universities and colleges, as well as providing vital life skills and making confidence and self-esteem a huge part of their ethos.

The couple have been running the school for two years. Complete with professional theatre flooring to support students in their movement, as well as equipment to perform their productions and artistic pieces to the highest quality, the unit also provides space for costumes and set to be created by hand by Rachel and her willing team of volunteers and parents.

However, all of this is at risk of being lost after a 28-day notice was sent to Rachel by Cornwall Council, stating they would need to find new premises and be out of the unit by the beginning of September.

The notice was sent due to refusal of a planning application from McQueen’s, requesting that the D2 building status be included alongside the already established D1 status of the unit. All of this originally stemmed from a noise complaint reported recently.

Rachel said: “When we moved into this building we were advised to check if we needed to change the use of the building, so we contacted the council (Cornwall Council) by phone, to which we were then pointed in the direction of the Planning Portal.”

The unit’s current use falls under B1 and B8 — office and storage or distribution. Rachel said: “We believe we fall under D1 because it’s educational. The workshops in themselves in essence are educational and the dance classes are educational.”

Mark explained that the school had received a noise complaint, to which environmental health had to get involved to carry out a feasibility study on the unit. However, in consideration, Mark and Rachel took great steps to soundproof the unit further to ease any issues that had been expressed. “We passed with flying colours,” Mark said. “We have no problems with noise. But then if something upset someone, the people had a course of action they could take. We were liaising with the environment agency and planning, which pointed us to have to change the use of the building. We have always maintained that we are D1.”

According to the Planning Portal, D1 usage is for non-residential institutions, which includes ‘non residential education and training centres’. Rachel and Mark were advised to apply for D2 status, assembly and leisure, including music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls, gymnasiums and areas for indoor or outdoor sports — which is not what they offer, the couple have claimed.

Rachel said: “So we set about putting in a planning application to include D2 status to include all aspects of that. We checked with the planning office to see if it was the right one to fill out to which we were then told it was ‘merely a formality’. It cost £465 for the application.

“So it was sent to someone in the council who forwarded it to the next person so that went through. But then planning granted refusal. They’re saying we come under D2, but their response was a refusal.”

The couple asked if there was any way they could negotiate the decision or resubmit their application, which the council rejected. As outlined in the documents relating to the application on Cornwall Council’s planning website, it states the reason for refusal, which reads: “The proposal is located within Pennygillam Industrial Estate which is allocated as safeguarded employment land in the emerging Cornwall Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) April 2019 and therefore the proposed D2 use of the unit is contrary to policy LAU-E4 of the DPD and policy 5 of the Cornwall Local Plan Strategic Policies 2010-2030.”

Rachel and Mark were told that an alternative option for them was to appeal to the Secretary of State, a process of which they are given a six-month respite to formulate an appeal against the refusal. However, on August 6, Rachel received a breach of use notice, giving them just 28 days to find other premises.

“I called them to say it won’t be possible to do that,” she said. “I explained to them that we have additional needs children and that change has to be gradual for them. Then I got the email back saying that the case has been discussed and that their decision still stands. What they’re saying is to cease the unit completely is appropriate.

“There isn’t anywhere else that is suitable for us. The town council — we’ve done loads of work for them, the most recent being the Victorian Market. On one hand you’ve got the town council who are showing constant support, and then you have Cornwall Council who are trying to shut us down!”

Mark added: “In one area you are being rewarded, and then in another you’re getting the opposite. We have done all they (Cornwall Council) have asked us to do. All of this has come from one noise complaint, and the complaint wasn’t even upheld.

“Our landlord is so supportive, and we’ve got all the parents and members of the community who are showing us huge support. We have over 150 students now and there’s support in every corner, but they’re claiming we do 13 hours of dance a week — they’re saying that’s our primary business, but there’s not enough to generate income so we have to multi-use the space to generate the income to keep us afloat.”

After a telephone call to Cornwall Council, Rachel explained that other businesses on Pennygillam Industrial Estate are in similar situations to them. “They asked me if I want to make a complaint and I said no, because I’m not one to interfere with other people’s businesses. They then emailed me and said that due to what I said on the phone to them on August 15, I would be required to submit a complaint. So now they’re telling me to complain about other businesses — they can’t make me complain! It does seem a bit farcical.”

Now the couple have concerns for the future of the school — if the appeal turns out to be successful, McQueen’s would be out of their current unit. They were told the answer to this would be compensation, but it is something the pair want to avoid.

Rachel said: “It still leaves this community without this facility.”

Mark said: “We took up this place because of the training and European funding made available to us at the time. We have done all our little studies to see what we can do in this little town. Because we now have links as far as Falmouth and up to Plymouth and Bude, we’re ideally situated here to access all of that.”

The couple are now focusing on their appeal to the Secretary of State, and hope to gain as much public support as possible. Rachel said: “There are so many empty units on this estate. This unit was empty for about two years before we took it on. The estate has lost Storm Nightclub, the farm shop, even Kensey Foods. They all go to this ghost line which seems to be forming.

“We’re now focusing on the appeal. We’re starting to take up the case and write letters, we’re trying to be as reasonable as possible.”

The school has received letters from other nearby businesses, as well as councillors in the area and across to Devon who are showing their support.

“By September 6, we’re supposed to be out of here, which will be devastating,” Mark said. “We can’t afford to say, ‘sorry guys, that’s it’.”

The school will have to look at transferring their classes to church halls and other venues of that kind, but with more than 150 students and numerous classes six days a week, this will be a challenge.

Mark continued: “Now it’s about generating that interest and support. We’re going public now.”

Rachel explained: “We didn’t want to change the use, we wanted it to add the D1 — but this was £460. That’s a lot of money to pay for something that’s not even going to be looked at.

“We’re in danger of losing everything we have built up here over the eight years since I started up McQueen’s.”

“It wouldn’t be so bad if dance was all we did, but it isn’t — it’s so much more than that,” Mark continued. “We provide support for vulnerable people. We have to run six days a week because we can’t fit everything in otherwise.

“It’s all happened so fast — within two months. We have to make it public now and bring it to the attention of the Cornwall planners. We’re looking for any sort of support, whether it’s written or verbal. The community is at risk of losing something that we have worked so hard to provide for them.”

Rachel said: “We have worked with children with anxiety, depression, children who are home schooled. It’s quite overwhelming to think of the issues we help with, and for all that to go to nothing is just devastating.

“They’re expecting us to stop everything and find an alternative venue, but why if we already have B1 and B8?”

“We don’t want to go to D2 because that’s not what we’re about,” Mark said.

The loss of the school would certainly be felt within the Launceston community. Rachel and Mark have helped children with a range of awards and projects towards their profiles, including Duke of Edinburgh awards. They have also helped springboard young people into further education and employment, with one young lady now working with British Airways after Rachel was asked for her guidance. They have GCSE and A Level students attending their classes and are supporting children through the Children’s University’s ‘Passport to Learning’, as well as providing arts awards which are recognised by schools. In addition, McQueen’s provides high quality training for all of their students, which have plenty of health benefits.

Mark said: “If we can get support from people in the community, I think they will look at things and hopefully look to change their decision. We don’t want to be put into ‘that’ box.”

“It’s devastating. At the end of the day our objective is ‘Arts for all and to reach as many people as possible’. That’s what we set out to do and that’s what we will continue to do. We will fight for our students and community,” Rachel added.

In response to Cornwall Council refusing the application, they issued the following statement. It said: “The planning application from Rachel Oles McQueens Dance and Theatre Company was for the change of use of an industrial unit at Pennygillam Industrial Estate to a dance and theatre company which would result in the loss of a unit in an area that is safeguarded for employment uses. Therefore the application was refused.

“We understand the importance of community facilities such as this and will discuss options with the applicant to help enable this business to continue its work in the Launceston area.

“We give free regulatory advice and support to businesses in Cornwall on letting out commercial premises, planning and building control issues through our Business Regulatory Support Hub: www.businessregulatorysupport.co.uk. We also give advice on applying for funding for letting out commercial premises through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub.”

To send a letter of support, which Rachel and Mark are gathering to present in their appeal, please send it to 38b Pennygillam Way, Launceston.