Councillors on either side of a planned large new development are taking different views on the scheme.
Liskeard Town Council has given its support in principle to the housing plans, but has been clear in setting out what it feels should be the necessary sorts of contributions from the developer to new infrastructure to support the hundreds of new people that will live on the site. The Town Council argues that the new residents will feel part of Liskeard and will need to use services and facilities in the town.
But the site itself lies within Menheniot parish. Councillors there are less sympathetic to the proposals. The parish council resolved to object to the housing element of the plans, in part because it felt the stated need for new housing was not based on latest evidence, and that there should be more affordable housing within the development.
The latest application to be considered is for the employment-generating aspect. At a recent Menheniot Parish Council meeting, agents for the developers DHA Planning and Wilton Homes came along to present to councillors and answer questions.
In their report to Cornwall Council, the developers say the plans will “strive to provide innovative and exemplary landscape and access design….being sensitive to the wider area with views into and out of the site considered”. They stress the need to create pedestrian access routes from local bus stops and neighbourhoods, active cycleways and good road infrastructure.
But having looked at the documents and heard the presentations, Menheniot’s councillors decided not to support the application.
They have concerns over the design of roads in and out of the development, and note that National Highways does not support the plans as they stand because there has not been enough information provided on how traffic will affect the nearby A38 and its junctions.
Menheniot Council would like to see a new connection between Roseland Road and Haviland Road created, for access to Liskeard.
The Parish Council feels that the plans don’t meet the standards set out in the Menheniot Neighbourhood Plan: there’s no overarching approach to layout and design across the housing and employment sections, they say, and there will be a net loss in biodiversity at the site. Climate change mitigaion has not been addressed as required in Menheniot’s local plan, and the drainage is only showed in detail for part, not all of the scheme.
Menheniot Parish Council has not supported individual applications for illuminated signs for the McDonalds on the site, as it says it cannot assess the impact on nearby residents. Liskeard Town Council has supported these.
To have a look at all the plans in detail visit Cornwall Council’s online planning register and use the reference PA22/03642 (for the new houses) and PA22/06825 (for the employment application).