RESIDENTS of the Kensey Valley area of Launceston ‘always will be against’ a link road for that part of town, ‘unless convinced otherwise’, a meeting heard last week.

Nick Toulson, representing Kensey Valley Residents’ Association, as well as a number of other residents from the area, attended the meeting of Launceston Town Council last Tuesday.

He told councilors: “We are against and always will be unless convinced otherwise the Kensey Valley Link Road.”

The Post has previously reported that Cornwall Council is looking at allocating land in the Newport area of Launceston for housing through the site allocations development plan document (DPD), which will form part of its suite of planning documents under the umbrella of its Local Plan.

The site allocations DPD looks at allocating sites for housing and employment, as well as protecting existing employment sites.

The town council’s planning committee last month heard allocating land for housing through a site allocations development plan document (DPD) would enable the building of a Kensey Valley Link Road, should a developer come forward to build there. The road would link the A388 between Kensey Valley Meadow and Newport Industrial Estate.

Cornwall Council’s public consultation on the Cornwall Site Allocations Development Plan Document (preferred options) is expected to take place early this summer.

Mayor Cllr Brian Hogan said: “I think there will be lots of opportunity for the Kensey Valley residents to have their say. Whatever happens at the Kensey Valley there will be public consultation on it.”

Cllr Rob Tremain, chairman of the town council planning and economic development committee, explained to the meeting a working group was set up by the town council to consider the report of Cornwall Council’s transport document.

He said the group has met three times, most recently with officers of Cornwall Council.

He added: “As a town we have accepted the need for housing development through the DPD and Town Framework Plan, and now we have the opportunity to gain economic development and new jobs by the regeneration of Newport and its Riverbank environs.”

He said Cornwall Council is managing a covergence programme and there are funding routes the town council could ‘tap into’.

He said there will be elections next year and and ‘we have an ideal opportunity to get things moving before then’.

Cllr Paul O’Brien said he wished to see the town council develop a neighbourhood plan instead, adding: “The one thing that will prevent ad hoc developments outside of what we in this town would wish to see would be a neighbourhood plan properly thought through and detailing the whole area of the town.”

Last year the town council took the decision not to create a neighbourhood plan and the town council’s planning and economic development committee on April 8 this year said while it was not ‘forgetting’ about a neighbourhood plan, ‘perhaps this is not the time’ to move forward with one — it was pointed out that developing a neighbourhood plan could take a minimum of two years.

Instead the planning committee wished to move forward with the ‘Regeneration of Launceston and its riverbank areas’ report.

The proposals laid out in the report were supported by the town council, which state Newport ‘is identified as one of a number of key sites for future employment growth’ and that ‘the key to releasing this potential is the delivery of the Kensey Valley Link Road’.

Cllr Brian Hogan said: “There is a funding opportunity at the moment but it was emphasised to us if we want to take this forward it’s got to be done immediately.”