CORNWALL Council has agreed to propose changes to the draft Cornwall Local Plan — with an increase of housing numbers for the county from 47,500 to 52.500.

The agreement to propose the changes at an extraordinary Cornwall Council meeting on December 15, followed recommendations made by the Secretary of State-appointed inspector earlier this year.

The proposed changes will now go out for a six-week public consultation in the New Year. The results of the consultation, which will centre just on the changes to the Cornwall Local Plan, will then be considered by the Inspector as part of the Local Plan Examination when it resumes.

At the hearings held earlier this year the Inspector recommended additional work and gave advice about changes to the Plan to make it ‘sound’ before it can be considered for adoption.

The changes include an increase in the proposed allocation of homes for Launceston, from 1,500 to 1,800 for the town and from 1,900 to 2,300 for the wider Launceston Community Network Area.

But Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston North and North Petherwin, and deputy leader of the council Adam Paynter, told the Post although the proposed amount for Launceston had increased, many new homes were already in the pipeline.

“We really had no choice but to put up our housing numbers for this Local Plan period from 2010 to 2030. The government inspector has told us to put the numbers up.

“Whilst this is 400 more than the original amount for the Launceston area the majority of the houses are already built or permitted and only 680 more need to be applied for.”

On the wider Local Plan for Cornwall, Edwina Hannaford, cabinet member for planning, said: “Cornwall needs a Local Plan. We need an adopted plan so we can start determining local planning applications on locally agreed policies and not having to rely on the National Planning Policy Framework alone. We need an adopted Plan so that policies for economic development, affordable housing, renewable energy and the protection of our precious landscape, among others, have weight and are defendable.

“We also need the Plan to support plans for our towns that identify areas where growth should go and importantly where it shouldn’t, rather than just respond to developer’s applications.

“We need a plan that supports communities to develop their own Neighbourhood Plans.

“However, to be adopted by the council and therefore carry full weight, it must first be found ‘sound’ by an independent Government-appointed Inspector at a public examination.

“From the earlier hearings of the examination the Inspector recommended that the housing target should be increased but also cautioned against planning for too many more houses that simply would not be built or harm our economic plans. In addition, he recognised the council’s very strong commitment to delivering affordable housing.

“Unless the issues raised by the Inspector are addressed to his satisfaction he will not be able to find the Local Plan ‘sound’; consequently the council would not be able to adopt the Plan and national planning policies will continue to be used for planning decisions.

“The Government has also recently announced its intention to step in to undertake the plan-making function if local authorities cannot progress them by 2017.

“The changes to the draft Local Plan that have been agreed by members strikes what we hope will be the necessary balance which will be acceptable to the people of Cornwall and the Inspector.

“In the meantime, we shall continue to press the Government for devolved powers for planning in Cornwall.”