EACH week, hundreds of planning applications come before Cornwall Council’s planning department, seeking to win approval for various plans right across the Duchy, with some concerning Holsworthy handled by Torridge District Council.

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.

MEMBERS of a Cornwall Council planning committee have voiced concerns that they felt coerced by the government’s new house-building policy into approving an application for homes in a village which has previously been refused twice.

The permission in principle (PiP) bid by E Trewin & Sons for five open market houses in Marhamchurch, near Bude, proved unpopular with the council’s new east area planning committee today (Monday, June 9) but members felt stymied by Labour’s new house-building framework, which aims for 1.5-million new homes by 2029. The figure equates to 4,421 new homes being built annually in Cornwall.

The council’s planning department stated that residential land use was appropriate for the site and recommended approval. However, local Liberal Democrat member Cllr Nicky Chopak brought it before the committee due to various concerns, echoed by Marhamchurch Parish Council.

She said the planning committee had seen the application twice before, in 2016 and 2017, when it was refused due to concerns about development in the open countryside, lack of sustainability and the unknown impact on at least eight listed heritage assets, including the “important Bude inclined plane, one of only a few remaining in the world”.

The Bude Canal, which is close to the application site, uses the inclined plane to overcome elevation changes instead of traditional locks. The inclined plane is one of only four in the country.

James Trewin, for the applicant, said the development would be a modest extension to the village and would be immediately adjacent to an existing development. He added it was not an isolated incursion into the open countryside and, if approved, would respect the character of the area.

Newly elected committee vice-chair Cllr Mark Gibbons (Independent, Looe East & Deviock) said the council was in a very different planning environment than it had been. “I hate to see the Neighbourhood Development Plan being overturned and compromised as they take a great deal of effort, but we’re in a legal position where it’s very difficult to stand against some of this.”

He added: “We’re all going to have to get used to having an allocation of housing applied in our areas that we probably feel is unrealistic and unrequired in some way, and is going to be almost impossible to deliver in terms of logistics, materials and workforce.” Cllr Gibbons said the planning goalposts had been moved by the Government and “we’re seeing it very clearly in this application”.

Cllr Adrian Parsons (Liberal Democrat, Altarnun & Stoke Climsland) said the whole issue was “incredibly frustrating”. Members aired their concerns that they felt “coerced” by Government policy to allow the application.

The chair said he was unhappy that there was so little detail at the PiP stage and he was “really not comfortable” with the application.

The application was approved somewhat begrudgingly by six votes in favour, four against and no abstentions.

ADVERTISEMENT consent for the installation of signage outside of a former bank in a conservation zone in Bodmin has been granted approval by Cornwall Council.

The approval comes despite the pleas of Bodmin Town Council to refer the scheme to the Cornwall Council’s own shopfront design guide team to find a compromise between the existing plans and what it might deem acceptable.

Mr Thomas Sturgess applied to the local authority seeking advertising consent for the installation of: “Installation of: one flat cut three mm pearl gold, satin finish aluminium signs on west elevation, two 1240 x 1585 mm pearl gold internal window vinyl prints on west elevation, two 1485 x 1595 mm pearl gold internal window vinyl prints on west elevation, one 300 x 210 mm pearl gold five millimetre acrylic panel displaying opening times, mounted using stand-off locators on west elevation and one 1035 x 1900 mm digitally printed pearl gold graphics, matt UV laminated cover on south elevation.”.

The application concerns 7 Mount Folly in Bodmin, which despite being a historic building in a conservation area, is not listed and was formerly the home of Barclays Bank prior to its closure.

Bodmin Town Council said in its application response: “The Bodmin Town Council Planning Committee has reviewed the proposed signage for 7 Mount Folly, Bodmin, PL31 2DE, and has the following recommendations for the applicant to consider before the Council can offer its support.

“While the building is not listed, it is located within a conservation area, which requires sensitive consideration of design and detailing. The Committee notes that Historic England previously requested reduced illumination for a similar proposal at the nearby Merlin Cinema.

“The Committee therefore requests that the applicant: Review the scale, materials, and lighting of all proposed signage against Cornwall Council's Shopfront Design Guide, in consultation with its administrators. Seek formal advice from Historic England ‘referring to the Merlin Cinema precedent ‘to confirm appropriate levels of illumination, colour schemes, and signage positioning. Page 2 of 7 Should these points be addressed, the Committee would be pleased to reconsider the application.”

In an accompanying planning officer’s report, Gemma Old, the case officer responsible for approving the plans stated: “The Town Council have not raised any specific objections but have referred the applicants to Historic England. It is not within Historic England's remit to comment on applications, that are not Listed Buildings and meet certain criteria, under the consultation arrangements.”

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