EACH week, hundreds of planning applications come before Cornwall Council’s planning department, seeking to win approval for various plans right across the Duchy.

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.

PROPOSALS seeking the construction of 28 affordable dwellings on land at Penwithick have been approved by Cornwall Council.

Coastline Housing Ltd submitted proposals for the dwellings on land to the east of Cargwyn, Penwithick, Cornwall.

The applicant’s planning agent told Cornwall Council: “The proposal for 28 affordable dwellings on land east of Cargwyn, Penwithick represents a sustainable, policy compliant and highly beneficial form of development.

“It responds positively to national and local planning policy, meets an identified local affordable housing need, and replaces an unviable permission with a viable and deliverable scheme. The development will integrate appropriately with Penwithick, enhance biodiversity, provide high-quality homes, and contribute positively to the character and sustainability of the village.”

Of the 28 dwellings, there would be two one-bed maisonettes, 12 two-bed, two-storey houses and 14 three bed-two storey houses.

All of the houses would have two allocated parking spaces with the one-bed properties having one each. All of the units would have an EV charging point.

The site which the proposed development occupies has a complex history, with a previous developer unable to deliver a viable scheme. Following the construction of the first seven homes, the project stalled due to escalating material costs and the higher infrastructure requirements of the second phase, specifically road construction and a complex drainage strategy.

Treverbyn Parish Council requested that the planning application was ‘called in’ – meaning that the final decision would rest with the area’s planning committee comprising of councillors as opposed to being decided by a planning officer.

The parish council had objected to the application, citing what it believes to be fundamental and unresolved highways and access issues.

It also criticised what it saw as a ‘lack of transparency and evidence’ which it said was unacceptable, in its view.

However, it was not called in as, according to the planning officer’s report detailing the reasons for approval, the Cornwall Council member for the area, Cllr Jamie Hanlon (Independent, Penwithick and Boscoppa), said he did not find sufficient reason for sending it to the committee, meaning that it could be decided by a planning officer.

There was also a petition from nearby residents submitted to Cornwall Council, with just over 40 signatures captured. The residents who signed the petition stated that they were against the planning application for the properties.

The approval was issued subject to a number of conditions, including issues related to drainage, construction management plans, access and highways, parking, EV charging points, ecological surveys, the installation of bat and bee boxes, biodiversity net gain, habitat and ecology management plans and restrictions on clearing vegetation between March and August.

A FORMER care home in Bodmin which has been empty since its closure could have a future use for the provision of specialist social housing for vulnerable and disabled people.

Alpus and Lime Developments are seeking to transform the disused Belmont House nursing home, which it refers to as Bodmin House in the planning documents submitted to Cornwall Council, into 13 units of accommodation.

It would comprise of eight self-contained flats within the existing building in addition to the construction of five bungalows within the wider curtilage of the site at the property on Love Lane in the town.

The proposals at present are at the pre-application stage, where a potential applicant submits its proposals to Cornwall Council in order to obtain the planning authority’s view on whether it would be likely to obtain approval if it was to be progressed to a full planning application.

Pre-application advice responses also detail what would be necessary to increase the chances of approval if the proposals as submitted might find itself facing difficulties in obtaining approval.

At times, the response if the proposals are unacceptable and unlikely to obtain support would make clear that it is ‘unlikely to obtain officer support’.

In the instance of the proposals for the former Belmont House, Alpus and Lime Developments do not presently own the site, with it being a possibility that a deal to acquire the site would be contingent on either obtaining planning approval or a positive pre-application advice response.

The developer’s planning agent told Cornwall Council: “Bodmin House is a former nursing home that has been vacant for some time and is no longer in active care use.

“The applicant proposes to bring this underutilised building and its associated site back into meaningful residential use, delivering a total of 13 units comprising eight self-contained flats within the existing building and five bungalows within the wider site curtilage.

“The scheme is specifically designed to provide specialised social housing for vulnerable and disabled people, addressing a recognised gap in specialist and adapted residential provision within the local area.

“The applicant is committed to ensuring that all units are designed and managed to meet the operational requirements of this occupier group, with accessibility and suitability at the forefront of the design approach.”

The developer said it was seeking Cornwall Council’s views on the following: whether it would support the principle of the change of use of the building from a C2 to a C3B classification for specialist social housing purposes; any specific design, access or amenity consideration that the authority wishes to see addressed, the likely scope of what supporting documents and technical assessments that are required and any site-specific restraints and designations that is deemed relevant.

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It added: “We welcome the opportunity to engage positively with the Planning Authority at this early stage and are committed to working collaboratively to ensure the proposal is brought forward in a manner that responds fully to the authority's requirements and the needs of the local community.”