RESIDENTS packed into Camelford Hall recently to hear more information about two pre-planning applications that have been submitted to Cornwall Council for advice.
The pre-applications were on the agenda of the Camelford Town Council meeting on October 6.
The first pre-application is for a residential development for up to 55 dwellings at Roughtor Road, Camelford (PA16/02349/PREAPP) and the second for a residential development for up to 55 dwellings on land east of Roughtor Drive, High Street, Camelford (PA16/02350/PREAPP)
A number of residents spoke during the 15-minute public participation section of the meeting, to highlight any concerns they had over the possible plans.
Among the concerns raised were the effect on the sewerage system, the doctors’ surgery and also the amount of houses already empty in the town.
One lady said: “There’s been an awful lot of development in Camelford. Have they updated the sewerage? Have they enlarged it to cope with all the housing? Over the last five years there’s been a lot of development but not many to the infrastructure.”
Mayor, Cllr Rob Rotchell, said: “The allocation of houses to be built in Cornwall is a national decision. It’s not made in Cornwall. Camelford’s got a percentage of that — 375 houses.”
One man questioned how the council had advised the developer, adding that if it had been looked at favourably, the application could be submitted and it would be approved.
However, Cllr Rotchell said the application has to fit in with the National Policy Framework, then the Cornwall Plan, and then Camelford Town Council will also be consulted.
Sue Rabson, who works at the doctors’ surgery, said: “We are bursting at the seams at the surgery. We can’t provide the services we want to. From previous developments we’ve noticed, as people register with us, a lot of the people are from elsewhere, Manchester, Birmingham. Will these developments go in that sort of way or is there a need for something local?”
Cllr Rotchell referred to the Ocean Housing development on the former primary school site. For these, you have to have more than five years’ connection to Camelford. If there are not a sufficient number of people in that category, they will then look to neighbouring parishes, then to the rest of Cornwall.
“With a five year link to the town, there are sufficient people on the housing list for that. However, the open market properties are very different.”
Out of Camelford’s allocation of 375 houses, over 100 have already been built. This number has to be fulfilled by 2030.
The number of empty houses in the town was also highlighted, with one man claiming that there are 11 empty in Tregoodwell alone.
One man spoke about the negative effect it would have on existing properties. He said: “I like seeing ponies across the road. I don’t want to see houses.”
A presentation was given to the council from Dan Rogers of Bell Cornwell, chartered town planners and development consultants, who have an office in Exeter.
Mr Rogers said he represented several families with long-term interests in the two sites. Earlier in the year they were asked on behalf of the client to submit two pre-applications. Advice has since been received from the officers.
“It’s a very in principle idea. There’s still a lot of work to be done to decide whether the development can be achieved. If the client decides to progress with either scheme, a lot more work needs to be done, such as access and drainage.”
Mr Rogers said the proposals may be subject to change, but they are being ‘honest and open about the plans.’
The next step will be to hold a community consultation event to understand thoughts and concerns from the local community, any of which could be incorporated into the development.
Mr Rogers said his client is not a big developer, and they have a long interest in the town, so if the scheme does progress, they could be prepared to offer some sort of community benefits.
Following the presentation, town councillors were given a chance to ask questions.
Cllr Claire Hewlett asked about density levels and whether the planning officers responded with any recommendations.
Mr Rogers said it would be up to 55 houses, but that is the ceiling figure, so it could be fewer. In terms of layout, the development looked ok.
A previous resident of Tregoodwell, Cllr Kirsty Ferguson said: “It’s a single track road going into Tregoodwell. If the landowner has a long interest in it, surely he would know that?”
Cllr Ferguson said with the guidelines of 1.5 vehicles per property, there could be an additional 90-100 vehicles going up and down the road.
“As a personal view I’m not sure that the road can cope with that amount of vehicles. Do they understand about the road? It’s a dreadful junction coming out onto the A39 anyway.”
Mr Rogers said that would be the first thing they would suggest their client to do, in that they would need to look at the existing road capabilities and any safety issues of the junction.
Cllr Philip Lessels said: “The A39 is still the medieval footprint that was there for the last 700 years. You can’t alter that, and yet we’re looking at a vast number of cars coming onto an already crowded road, funnelling into it, into Camelford and it’s stacking up through to Valley Truckle. We currently face traffic jam logs.
“It’s quite a serious number of cars that is trying to get onto the A39 both ways. They would have to be significant highway changes and it would have to be incorporated into a far larger plan to take traffic out of Camelford.”
The air pollution issue in the town was raised by Cllr Rotchell, who said: “Camelford is asking for responses to our air quality survey. I don’t have to tell anyone in this room how bad the traffic is.”
He explained that the air quality has been recognised as ‘toxic’, mainly triggered by the pollution levels in the middle of the town. He added that for more than two thirds of the year, traffic stacks up past the Tregoodwell entrance.
Mr Rogers was asked if there was any time frame set for the possible proposals, but he said in all honesty, they don’t know. Bell Cornwell have been instructed to take it this far, and they will recommend that their client holds a community consultation event after they get answers to some questions.
Mr Rogers said he would not expect anything to be done this year, but if his client decided to proceed he would imagine it would be the early months of next year.
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