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.

UP to 30 extra holiday lodges could be coming to a site near Bude in plans submitted to Cornwall Council.

Penstowe Manor Holiday Park, in Kilkhampton is seeking the council’s views on a proposal to demolish a redundant building and replace it with 25 to 30 lodges.

It is a pre-application planning application, meaning that it is not yet a full planning application but rather seeking the council’s views of the likelihood of the proposal achieving ‘officer support’ and if not, what it might have to do to achieve it, such as reduced number of lodges or other measures.

The proposals seek the council’s views on demolishing a ‘redundant’ building on the site to free up the land to expand the holiday park with the 25 to 30 lodges to increase the capacity for tourism.

In the application, the planning agent for the applicant stated: “Over the past few years this (the building) has become redundant and fallen into disrepair as shown in the photos submitted. Penstowe Manor is under a different ownership and is being converted into flats while much of the surrounding land has been approved for residential development and a large portion remains as a successful holiday park with a mix of lodges and apartments.

“Our client would like to demolish the redundant leisure building and develop a parcel of brownfield land at the rear of Penstowe Manor as shown on the location plan for 25 to 30 new holiday lodges or apartments. The proposed development will not only revitalise an unsightly parcel of ground but will also assist the biodiversity.

“There is a good existing access to the site, as shown on the submitted drawings. Kilkhampton is a thriving Cornish village, popular with holiday makers all year-round.

“All of these facilities are an easy walk from Penstowe. Kilkhampton also has a good bus service to link it to Bude and further afield. This location is considered accessible by walking, cycling, bus and via a linked trip using the train from railway stations at Barnstaple, Okehampton and Bodmin.

“The existing holiday accommodation that surrounds the site forms part of the Penstowe Manor Holiday Park and has been attracting holiday makers to this location for over 40 years.

“That business is already well established so an additional 25 to 30 new lodges or apartments will allow the applicant to attract holidaymakers from this already strong network of guests whilst also attracting new holiday makers which in turn will support the local businesses.

“The accommodation will be aimed at both the family and couples' markets so that it takes advantage of not only the peak holiday season but also the shoulder and off-peak times of year which is stronger with couples and pre-school bookings.”

The application can be followed using reference PA25/00436/PREAPP.

PROPOSALS for the access roads to a large housing development near Bodmin has been met with concern from Bodmin Town Council and highways officers.

Devonshire Homes applied to the authority for planning permission for the access roads to their proposed 678 home development at Callywith.

However, there are fears that their proposed roads on the site would both prevent any future Northern relief road to be built in addition to providing inadequate access.

The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of Bodmin Town Council’s planning committee.

Cllr Andy Coppin, the deputy chair of Bodmin Town Council’s planning committee said: “The development will stop the northern relief road and we as a council need to strongly object. The access as it is, is not suitable for future purposes and we have to try to get what we need as a possibility because there are so many things that have happened in Bodmin that have happened and it is such poor planning with no forethought.”

Cllr Jeremy Cooper said: “As far as I can see, this plan conflicts with the national policy framework concerning safe access and significant development on locations which are and can be made sustainable.

“It is without a shadow of a doubt that unless there is another school built in the Callywith area, the present location of the schools at St Mary’s, St Petroc's and Berrycoombe, for example are on the other side of Bodmin and within NPPF section 110 it would conflict as it would not be sustainable transport as-is.”

Bodmin Town Council resolved to object to the application.

The Highways Development Management office at Cornwall Council also aired significant concerns: They said: “Advice was initially provided via PA24/01109/PREAPP, with this application looking to secure means of access for the residential and commercial elements. There are elements of that advice which have not been incorporated into the full application, and on receipt of the modelling outputs further issues have arisen that require addressing, such that the application is currently deficient in a number of areas and not supported on highway grounds.

“I do not consider that the majority of residents would favour a convoluted dog leg route via the existing infrastructure to access the town centre, which would be a significant increase in both distance and journey time. In addition, the majority of the primary schools in Bodmin are to the south and south-west of the site, such that the desire line to the south is the favourable route”

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