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.

PRIOR approval is not required for the conversion of a redundant agricultural building at Whitstone, Holsworthy.

The applicant was seeking clarification on whether planning permission was required to convert it into a five-bedroom dwelling.

The applicant told Cornwall Council: “The site is located within the open countryside at Greenacre, Week St Mary. The site is approximately two miles southeast from the village of Week St Mary. The site comprises of predominately agricultural sheds with the owners residential dwelling within the immediate vicinity.

“The building the subject of this Class Q application is on the northwestern side of land owned by the applicant, The southwestern and eastern boundaries are in the form of mature hedgerows and offer good screening The sheds construction consists of a steel portal frame with timber purlins and a corrugated roof.

“The frame is cladded externally with box profile sheeting with precast concrete panels up to a height of a approx. 1400mm. The existing vehicular access would be used to serve the proposed dwelling. Two parking areas will be created to the southeast of the barn to facilitate the dwelling.

“The proposal would result in the conversion of the building into a five-bedroom dwelling. The attached proposed floor plans show the exact layout. Two small garden/amenity areas will be created to the northwestern and North Eastern areas of the barn.”

Approving the application, Cornwall Council’s planning department told the application: “The proposed works shall be carried out in accordance with the recommendations set out in section '5.2 Nesting Birds' of the 'Bat & Nesting Bird Survey' by Penpont Ecology Services Ltd dated January 2025.

“Reason: In order to mitigate the impacts on wildlife in accordance with Policy 23 of the Cornwall Local Plan Strategic Policies 2010-2030 (Adopted 22nd November 2016).

“Prior to the first occupation of the dwelling hereby approved, the agricultural building directly to the south-west of the site, and labelled as 'existing shed retained note no livestock to be housed' on the block plan (drawing number: Ha/25-03), shall not be used for the housing of any livestock and shall thereafter only be used for other agricultural purposes.

“Reason: In order to mitigate the impacts of noise and odour in accordance with Policy 13 of the Cornwall Local Plan Strategic Policies 2010-2030 (Adopted 22nd November 2016).”

AN AGRICULTURAL building near Cardinham could be transformed into ten dwellings in proposals submitted to Cornwall Council for prior approval.

An application for prior approval is to ascertain whether the plans being proposed can be considered as ‘permitted development’, and therefore would not require the submission of a full planning application.

Trago Mills Ltd has submitted plans to ascertain whether proposals to turn a large agricultural building at Higher Carblake Farm, Cardinham into a mixed-tenure development of ten dwellings.

In the application documents submitted to Cornwall Council, Penk Architecture, the planning agent on behalf of Trago Mills Ltd said: “The site consists of the Largest of three barns just North of the nearest farm dwelling. the overall exterior footprint of the barn is 590m2. It has access to the road on its east and a farm track to the west.

“The existing building is of steel framed portal construction with a height from the internal floor to a ridge of seven metres allowing for the creation of a full second storey on a new mezzanine. Concrete block forms to lower walls of the building while the upper walls and roof are of fibre cement and steel cladding.

“The use of the barn for livestock has ended and now it is disused. Its previous use was for the farming of deer and some of the internal pens for this use are present in the building. An adjacent timber lean-to barn of 328 metre squared footprint will be removed to create amenity and parking for the proposed houses. The barn has not been related to any other applications and there is no specific planning history for the barns.

“The proposal seeks to convert the barn into seven houses with associated amenities and three flats and aims to create a mixed cluster of different-sized dwellings to provide much-needed varied housing stock.

“The 10 properties are arranged to work best within the existing structure of the barn, the layout of the farm, and the existing access. Parking provision exceeding the council minimum requirements is proposed within the development, along with dedicated outdoor spaces for each dwelling.

“The houses are designed to allow maximum flexibility and provide opportunities for multigenerational cohabitation and growing families.

The proposals are presently being considered by Cornwall Council.

PLANS for the construction of 71 ‘extra care’ apartments on land near to the Bodmin Beacon has been submitted to Cornwall Council.

Arcadis LLP, in partnership with Cornwall Council proposes to construct the three-storey building on land adjacent to Whitestone Road and Foster Drive, in the west of the town.

The proposal for the site seeks to construct 62 one-bedroomed apartments and nine two-bed apartments on the 1.16 hectare square site, which would also include 41 parking spaces and a minimum of five bicycle parking spaces.

The plans, under consideration by Cornwall Council’s planning department at present, can be viewed using reference PA25/01930.

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