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.

A PROPOSAL seeking planning permission in principle for the construction of five houses at a contractors yard near Bude has been refused by Cornwall Council.

Ms Alison Rowland submitted plans to the authority for the permission in principle on previously developed land at Contractors Yard, Coppathorne, Poundstock, Bude.

A permission in principle is not in itself a finalised plan submitted to Cornwall Council, but rather if granted identifies the principle that permission would be granted for a full scheme as described in the proposals. In this case that is for the construction of up to five dwellings, comprising a minimum of three and a maximum of five.

The planning agent for the applicant told Cornwall Council: “This Planning Statement is submitted in support of a Permission in Principle (PiP) application for the development of up to five dwellings on previously developed land at the Contractor's Yard, Coppathorne, Poundstock, Bude EX23 0DD.

“The proposed development seeks to deliver a housing scheme of up to five dwellings, contributing to the urgent need for housing in Cornwall in response to the ongoing housing crisis. While the specific tenure and design details of the homes will be determined at a later stage, the scheme is focused on providing sustainable, policy compliant housing in alignment with local and national planning priorities.

“The site is in the rural area of Poundstock, with direct access to the A39 and close proximity to the town of Bude. It is surrounded by other developments, supporting the rural community of Poundstock. The site is classified as brownfield land, as confirmed by the Certificate of Lawfulness (planning reference PA23/05864), which recognises its established use for construction and storage purposes.”

However, neither the parish council nor Cornwall Council’s planning department agreed with this argument.

Poundstock Parish Council said it objected to the application, stating the following reasons: “Poundstock Parish Council objects to this application on the grounds that the site is unrelated to any settlement and does not constitute infill development; it is neither accessible nor sustainable, being entirely car-dependent.

“The elevated position of the ridge line will result in a highly prominent and intrusive feature within the surrounding countryside; its proximity to the AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty) raises concerns about the impact on the protected landscape; and there are serious concerns regarding the long-term use of the site, as the land could be significantly contaminated”

Cornwall Council described the application site and its location as thus: “The application site comprises a ground workers/contractors' yard, located in open countryside. Situated a distance from the small hamlet of Bangors Cross, the nearest substantive settlement is Widemouth Bay some 1.6km away, with the larger settlement of Bude with a more comprehensive range of facilities located 5km to the north. Otherwise, the surrounding area is fairly rural with isolated and increasingly dispersed dwellings at the sites distance from Bangors Cross.

“Closer to the hamlet dwellings begin to cluster however, they fail to form any coherent built form synonymous with a settlement which occurs closer to the settlement centre. The site itself sits adjacent to the A39 highway.

“There is a collection of agricultural buildings on the site and the ground is levelled with hard-core, along with various other paraphernalia (storage containers, vehicles, waste etc.). The site is bounded with hedgerows and access is provided from two points, to the A39 to the west and to the adjacent lane to the east.”

In refusing the application, Cornwall Council told the applicant: “The application site is located within the countryside, divorced from any settlement. Residential accommodation on this site would have poor accessibility to necessary daily services and facilities which would perpetuate over reliance on the private vehicle and unsustainable traffic movements.

“In the absence of any special circumstances to justify residential development in this rural location, the proposal is not sustainable development. Furthermore, in the absence of a marketing exercise or demonstrable environmental reasons affecting the sites suitability, the proposal would result in a loss of business space affecting an active commercial operation at the site.”

THE conversion of a barn to a dwelling near Camelford has been refused by Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Mr Ethan Cowdery applied to the local authority for permission to convert a barn into a dwelling at Drovers Cottage, Treworra Barton, Davidstow.

In the submitted documents in support of the application, his planning agent told Cornwall Council that the conversion would be used as a holiday let if it had been approved and would benefit from a proportionate and suitable garden amenity space to serve it.

They added: “The design is sympathetic to the existing building and reflects what would be expected for a barn conversion. The existing openings are being utilised where possible, and the main fabric of the building will be used as part of the conversion.”

Refusing the dwelling, Cornwall Council told the applicant: “The proposed conversion of the barn to a dwelling, by virtue of the design, including the introduction of an uncharacteristically large expanse of glazing on the South-East elevation, would lead to an undesirable domestic aesthetic that fails to preserve and detracts from the intrinsic character and appearance of the historic barn. As such the proposal fails to enhance the immediate setting of the building.”

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