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.

AN outline planning application has been submitted to Cornwall Council for 36 new homes near Bude. If approved the housing development will be built on up to 1.96 hectares of land on the edge of Kilkhampton.

With access to the A39, the proposal off East Road in the village would incorporate affordable housing, which would be designed “to reflect the overall character and quality of the wider scheme and will be indistinguishable from market housing in appearance”.

A supporting statement says the delivery of affordable housing will reflect the appropriate mix – including social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership – as directed by Cornwall Council and current housing needs evidence.

The precise scale and mix of affordable housing, along with supporting infrastructure, will be included at a later stage of the application. Each of the 36 homes would have private amenity space and off-street parking, and there would be a mix of two, three and four bedroom properties.

For more details see PA25/05203 on Cornwall Council’s planning portal.

NORTH Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire has added his voice to growing concerns about a proposed geothermal power plant in his constituency. Cornish company Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) has applied to Cornwall Council to develop a deep geothermal renewable energy scheme at Tregath, between Slaughterbridge and Camelford.

The project involves a phased development with drilling of two deep geothermal wells and resource testing before the construction of a power plant. The drill rig mast expected to be used would be a maximum of 55 metres (182ft) in height.

The plant is planned to be operational for 50 years and would supply surplus electricity to the National Grid, with a gross generating capacity of around 4.9MW of electricity and around 20MW of thermal energy – the equivalent of powering and heating more than 11,000 homes.

However, local residents – and now their MP – are concerned about its effects on a sensitive site. They have even questioned possible Chinese investment in the scheme and if it’s a front for lithium extraction.

A Cornwall Council strategic planning committee deferred the application last month for more technical details after concerns were raised about the project’s impact on an environmentally sensitive river. The River Camel Valley and Tributaries Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the River Camel Special Area of Conservation (SAC) both lie about 150 metres to the south east of the site, which is also within the Camel River Catchment Area.

Mr Maguire visited the proposed site with concerned residents on August 20. He said: “This project has moved forward with seemingly no proper public consultation and, for a development of this scale, without environmental or seismic impact assessments. Residents here are absolutely right to feel they’ve been left in the dark.

“That’s why I raised concerns over the proximity to the River Camel, seismic risks from drilling three kilometres underground, uncertainty over whether this is truly a geothermal project (or a front for lithium extraction) and the lack of accountability linked to Chinese investment.”

He added: “Cornwall has huge potential for renewable energy and mineral extraction, but it must be done in the right way … with transparency, consultation with Camelford’s local residents and the proper safeguards in place.”

A number of concerned residents have formed the Camel & Slaughterbridge Protection Project. They have written to Cllr Chris Batters, chair of Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee, asking for him and other members to visit the site.

“We guarantee that you will, within five minutes, understand the complete unsuitability of this site for geothermal development and you will understand why we continually refer to this application on this site as ‘insane’,” they state.

Their letter adds: “It is hard to imagine a less suitable site for a geothermal plant and we strongly suspect central government and party-political ‘influence’ in this matter. Without any knowledge of the site and its sensitivity, vested interests of many hues are riding on the back of geothermal energy’s supposed green credentials (which are yet to be proved in the UK) in order to force this application through regardless of where it is sited.

“At all times the undoubted sensitivity of this site has been downplayed and / or misrepresented by the applicant, and it should be borne clearly in mind that if this application is allowed in this place with its verified sensitivity it will be almost impossible to refuse any future applications on any site in Cornwall. You would essentially be sending a message that says ‘if you can build it here, you can build it anywhere’.”

We approached GEL for a response to the concerns raised by Mr Maguire and the residents’ group and were told: “We will not be commenting at this time.”

AN application to build an access ramp to allow wheelchair access to a prominent community venue in Bodmin has been approved by Cornwall Council.

Bodmin Bowls Club applied to the authority seeking permission for the works required to construct the ramp on its site at Bowling Green, Castle Canyke Road, Bodmin.

It was given approval by Cornwall Council’s planning department subject only to a condition, namely “It shall be begun before the expiration of 3 years from the date of this permission.”