ACROSS the year that was 2025, thousands of planning applications were submitted to Cornwall Council.

Typically, planning applications can range from the small and simple – such as notifying the council of proposed works to a telecommunications mast, the relocation of a postbox or seeking approval to undertake works to a protected tree to the larger ones, such as the construction of a new supermarket, a large housing development or the demolition of a listed building.

Each week across the Cornish and Devon Post series, we feature a small smorgasbord of stories featuring planning applications that affect our readers and communities as part of our public notices output.

As we take a look back on 2025 one final time, here are some of the biggest planning stories that caught your attention throughout the year.

ARGUABLY one of the more unusual stories featured across this year was proposals to replace an equestrian centre in Launceston to a rhino zoo.

CFTR Trading Limited submitted a planning application in November seeking permission to transform the St Leonard’s Equitation Centre into a zoo which anticipates a maximum of 400 visitors a day coming to see the work of the organisation in conserving rhinos.

In the application, the charitable organisation stated that there were a number of advantages to the change, including which was the constitution of rhino fecal matter.

It stated: “The existing equestrian centre historically accommodated up to 28 stabled horses on a daily basis, with periodic large equestrian events hosting around 200 horses plus their riders and spectators.

“These major events brought many horses (often arriving in transport boxes with bedding and feed) to the site temporarily, creating substantial peaks in manure and waste generation. The current waste management infrastructure includes an established manure storage clamp on-site for collecting horse manure.”

In comparison, it argued that the non-native herbivores on the site, including rhinos would produce drier dung, lower moisture and urine volume and a comparable biomass with less odour compared to the previous use.

The proposals are still under consideration, and you can view them by using the reference PA25/06781.

A LONG running battle to prevent the demolition of a Bude clifftop hotel for its replacement with retirement flats was lost after it went to a planning appeal.

Churchill Retirement Living had previously had an application for the demolition of the hotel and the erection of 39 retirement flats in its place refused by Cornwall Council.

However, the planning inspector found in favour of the development, which saw concerns raised by a representative of the local GP practice.

In March, over 100 residents and local representatives attended a public inquiry as part of the inspectorate appeal process at the Falcon Hotel.

One of those present, Dr Pauline Anthony, a GP at Neetside Surgery was one of many residents who took a stand to address the inspectorate.

In her statement on behalf of the surgery she said: “As people who live in this area will already know, the NHS in this area is under great strain. That is not unusual, it is under strain in other parts of the country, but Bude is unusual in that we are over an hour and a half from the local hospitals that serve us.

“This creates a particular problem for Bude, as although it is a reasonably well resourced town, it is a long way from secondary and emergency care centres.

“Our concern as a practice and as part of the primary care network and NHS […] is that the type of people who would choose to move into a retirement flat that is not a nursing home tend to be people who just starting to become a bit frail.

“People might move in from out of the area, without local families to support them, and those people tend to be high users of NHS services. GP appointments will be affected, nurse appointments will be affected, healthcare assistant work will be affected […] and we are already stretched.”

AMENDMENTS to a proposal to build 195 homes on land near Holsworthy was approved despite the concerns of the local town council’s planning committee.

Westcountry Land and Homes, the owner of the site, had previously obtained reserved planning permission for the development, which was set to be constructed by Persimmon Homes for the scheme, which would include 59 ‘affordable’ dwellings.

The town council stated: “The council is concerned that the design is rushed and does not reflect the current eclectic design of the town.

“The design is monochrome with rendered boxes on a vast scale that are alien to the agricultural/rural/town area. There is no justification in the design statement for the design, HTC (Holsworthy Town Council) would like more details.

“HTC recalls that this estate road was supposed to be the route HGVs from industrial estate were to use as an alternative to Trewyn Road, as this road is very narrow and unsuitable for large numbers of HGVs at the town end. The road is not built but the route out of the industrial estate will soon be in use.

“During the site visit with the previous owner, concern about the estate junction at Bude Road being very close to the start on the 30mph with vehicle traffic speeding and HGVs turning in and out of the estate. It was suggested that a 40mph buffer zone up towards Rydon Inn would be a good option.”

However it was adjudged by the district council’s planning officer that the proposals were suitable, concluding in approval: “The proposed amended development is considered to be in keeping with the surrounding landscape and character and would not result in an adverse impact on the amenities of neighbouring occupiers, protected species on the site or surrounding designated sites. Sufficient provision is considered to be made in terms of drainage and parking arrangements.”

LONG anticipated plans for a Tesco supermarket to come to Camelford are a step closer after proposals were submitted to Cornwall Council.

Tesco Stores Ltd said: “The proposed development is expected to create approximately 100 local jobs, comprising a mix of full and part time positions and it is proposed that the store would open between 7am and 11pm on Monday to Saturday, with the usual restricted Sunday trading hours and a 24-hour petrol filling station.”

One of the changes from the previous pre-application proposals submitted in 2023 and the full planning application include the removal of a previously proposed roundabout access.

At a cost of approximately £1-million after a cost analysis exercise, the applicant says that if it is required to include the roundabout would render the development unviable.

In an accompanying planning statement and retail impact analysis document, the supermarket giant noted that Camelford was ‘in a fragile state’ with its arrival in the town potentially being the catalyst to begin the town’s revitalisation.

The plans can be viewed using reference PA25/02932.