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.

PLANNING permission to change the use of a building currently occupied as a B&M outlet in Liskeard has been granted by Cornwall Council.

The building’s owners, Metric Income Plus Limited Partnership sought permission to relax conditions stipulating what can be sold in the store and the amount of floor space it can occupy at the premises, located at Unit 1, The Bubble Retail Park, Liskeard.

It is seeking permission for the ‘widening of goods to allow operation as a foodstore and the installation of a cycle parking shelter’.

The planning application appears to suggest that the lease for the B&M foodstore will be coming to an end, with the applicant stating that it is seeking to widen the usage permitted in order to help attract another tenant.

They told Cornwall Council: “The Bubble Retail Park forms part of an established retail destination in the southeast of Liskeard, providing retail floorspace in a scale and format that cannot easily be accommodated within Liskeard Town Centre. Unit 1 is currently occupied by B&M. Other operators at the Retail Park include Argos, Pets at Home and Costa Coffee. A Morrisons supermarket is located adjacent to the Site.

“The Proposed Development seeks to increase the amount of food that can be sold from the Unit to allow a food store operator to occupy, following the end of B&M’s lease. The proposals will secure the long-term occupation of the Unit, thereby ensuring it continues to have a productive economic use.

“The proposed foodstore will support 90-120 jobs for local residents and provide additional choice and competition, allowing Liskeard to claw back trade that is currently being lost to other towns.”

It did not indicate the identity of the store which may come to Liskeard in place of the B&M, who were contacted for comment but did not respond.

Permission was granted subject to the retail floor space not exceeding 2,404 square metres internally.

Further, it was only permitted to be used as a foodstore or as a non food retail warehouse. It was also stipulated in the planning approval what categories of products the store was permitted to sell, in order to ‘protect the viability and vitality’ of Liskeard Town Centre.

It is also not allowed to subdivide the unit, while parking shown on the plan is to remain available for use by the store at all times.

Other conditions related to remedial measures for gas migration and implementation of the travel plan.

THE redevelopment of a former Chinese takeaway to residential use in Bodmin has been approved by Cornwall Council.

Nottle Construction Ltd sought the council’s approval to change the use of the former Oriental Chinese Takeaway on Higher Bore Street in the town to residential units.

It will see the property divided into two one-bedroom flats in addition to one three-bedroom dwelling.

As well as a change of use, the development would see the historic building frontage rebuilt in a similar stonework to the rest of the building, with the UPVC windows replaced with wooden framed ones of a period design and the removal of a UPVC shop frontage.

Cornwall Council’s planning department said the proposals would conserve and enhance the property, and while it does not fully satisfy the Cornwall Local Plan, the benefits of the scheme outweigh this.

The officer who approved the proposal stated: “The proposed works to the building are considered to conserve and enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the proposals therefore accord with Policy 24 of the Cornwall Local Plan and special regard has been had to the safeguarding of the heritage assets in accordance with Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

“The evidence provided is not considered robust enough to fully satisfy the requirements of Policy 5(2) (iv) of the Cornwall Local Plan. However, given the aims of the NPPF to locate hot food takeaways away from schools and the Government's intention to encourage residential uses in town centre locations it is considered that any residual policy conflict with policy five is minor and is given limited weight in the overall planning balance and is outweighed by the benefits of the scheme which includes the provision of two new residential units within a housing crisis in this sustainable location (from a public transport and accessibility perspective).

“In light of this, the proposal is considered to accord with the provisions of the development plan when read as a whole and amounts to sustainable development when considered in light of material considerations including the provisions of the NPPF. Taking these factors into account, it is considered that the proposal is acceptable, subject to conditions. All other matters raised have been taken into account, but none are of such significance as to outweigh the considerations that have led to the conclusion.”

Planning approval was granted subject to two additional conditions. One of these concerned the provision of bat and bird boxes with no occupation of the dwellings permitted until such a scheme is submitted and approved by Cornwall Council.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

The other condition addresses concern from a resident over drainage, with water run off being discharged into the existing combined sewer. No occupation of any dwelling is permitted until the existing area of hardstanding is replaced with a permeable grass finish.