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.

WHITSTONE Parish Council has said that it objects to proposals for the construction of a sports hall on land currently used as a car park in Whitstone.

Highgate Hill House School, a special needs school at Whitstone, near Holsworthy, has developed since opening eight years ago and now has around 42 pupils with a similar number of staff. All pupils attending the school have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) which include a need for physical activity.

It is seeking permission for the use of part of a school car park at Whitstone head for the provision of a sports hall to serve the school.

In its plans, the planning agent for the school said: “At present the only indoor sports area is at first floor level in the existing school building. It is relatively small and limited in the facilities it can offer - a properly designed and constructed Sports Hall would enable the school to offer much better sports and physical activities to pupils. The existing indoor sports area would be used then be used for other school activities.

“The school have assessed the amount of parking area needed for and used by the school staff. They have also assessed, in a similar exercise, the amount of parking area required for pupils. The pupils are almost all delivered to and collected from school by taxi and there are two peak times for this - school opening and closing times. The school have concluded that they can lose the proposed area to the Sports Hall without causing any parking issues.

“The use of the Sports Hall in will not generate additional traffic in that it is only intended to provide for the existing pupils at the school.

“The proposed sports hall fits into the west section of the car park and would occupy approximately 25 per cent of the total car park area.

“None of the trees to the south of the site are affected by the development and all hedges/bunding around the car park is to be retained.

“Drainage would use the existing soakaway system - there is no increase in hard surfaced area with the proposed building only occupying existing hard surfaced area.

“The proposal would not have any impact on the existing access arrangements to the car park.

“The proposed site is on an existing school car park to the north of the Highgate Hill House School at Whitstone Head.

“The car park site is presently enclosed by a bund to the north and west which effectively screens the site.

“In the context of the site location the building will be seen from distant views but set against a backdrop of other dwellings and trees - the site is visible to glimpse distant views from the local road networks to the north and from very local views into the site from the junction of the private and public roads to the south and the public footpath to the south. However, given the local landscape contours and the high hedges along the majority of the roads from which the site might be seen, from distant views, the impact of the proposed development is considered to be minimal The proposed bunding and BNG planting would minimise views into the site from the north and west - with the hedge to the east and the tree band on the hedge to the south effectively also acting as natural screening - as such it is considered that the proposal would not have any “significant impact on the setting of the site within the broader landscape context or the immediate locality. The site is not within any designated area but is within an AGLV.

“The proposal involves the construction of a sports hall building, mainly of box profile steel sheet walls and roof with a painted render wall facing into the car park. Solar panels are proposed for the west facing roof plane.

“Other than the construction of the building there is no change proposed to the car park.”

However, the parish council said that allowing the development to go ahead would breach previously issued planning conditions.

In its objection, Whitstone Parish Council told Cornwall Council: “Whitstone Parish Council unanimously objected to the application.

The reasons for this are as follows: It is breaking condition four of planning application PA20/01730 which reads: "Should the site no longer be used for parking purposes the site owner shall inform the local planning authority in writing within six months of the cessation of use and include a timetabled scheme for the return of the site to its natural vegetative state. The submitted timetable shall be approved in writing.

“Reason: To protect the character and appearance of the local area designated as an Area of Great Landscape Value.

“Secondly, it is outside the site boundary.”

AN application for the installation of a driveway at a 17th century property in St Neot has been refused by Cornwall Council’s planning department.

Permission was sought for the creation of an off street parking space with an EV charging point at a property on Lampen Terrace, Church View, St Neot.

It would also have featured a disabled ramp to allow the elderly couple easier access to the car.

Refusing the application, Cornwall Council’s planning department told the applicants: “The proposal would be harmful to the aesthetic significance of the property and wider terrace and would erode the character and appearance of the Conservation Area through the loss of this strong boundary feature and the enclosed effect it has upon the street scene. Although the harm would be less than substantial, there is no clear and convincing justification that there are public benefits that would outweigh the harm identified. As such, it is considered that the less than substantial harm to the character, appearance and setting of the Conservation Area would outweigh the public benefits of the proposal.”

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