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.

PROPOSALS for the demolition of a ‘utilitarian’ agricultural building with a replacement in the form of three dwellings near Holsworthy has been submitted to Cornwall Council.

The plans concern a site to the north east of Greenamore Park, Week St Mary, Holsworthy.

Prior approval for the conversion of the large agricultural building into three dwellings, as opposed to demolishing it in the current plans was granted for the site.

The applicant told Cornwall Council’s planning department: “This new application seeks full planning permission for three purpose-built dwellings, arranged in a courtyard form that reflects the traditional character of nearby historic farmstead groups such as the courtyard of barns adjacent to Reeve House, located 0.8miles away to the northwest. The proposal represents a clear betterment compared with the approved Class Q conversion, particularly in terms of architectural quality, scale, mass, landscape integration, and sustainability.

“The barn that is the subject of the original Class Q approval is located just to the north-east of the detached dwelling, Greenamore Park, in Week St Mary, Holsworthy. The existing two-storey agricultural building largely comprises brown coloured profiled metal sheeting to the roof; a mixture of timber and profiled metal sheet cladding to the walls; and blockwork retaining walls.

“It is a modern and utilitarian agricultural structure, functional in nature but lacking the vernacular qualities of the surrounding traditional buildings. Landscape materials around the shed are mainly concrete hardstanding.”

The applicant had also stated that in its view, the proposals represent a betterment of the site, adding: “The officer’s report for the Class Q scheme noted that the existing agricultural building is a utilitarian structure, with retained elements such as profiled metal walls, profiled roofing sheets, and blockwork.

“While acceptable under the limits of Class Q, such an approach would inevitably retain an agricultural character of limited architectural merit. The agricultural building dominates the surrounding landscape in terms of scale having a large footprint area of 747m2. The bulk and mass of the existing agricultural building is substantial and although could be converted into residential dwellings, the proposed scheme offers a much better solution that reduces the scale and mass of the proposal and reduces the impact of the proposal on the landscape.”

The full plans, which are under consideration can be found using reference PA25/06605.

CORNWALL Council have approved proposals for the extension of a car park serving the factory which makes Ginsters pastry products.

Samworth Brothers Ltd, the food manufacturing company which owns the site, sought permission to undertake the works at the site of the Cornwall Bakery in Callington.

It was described as: “This application seeks permission to extend the existing car park serving the factory. The factory currently benefits from 301 parking spaces across 5 parking areas. The proposal would result in 392 spaces.

“The site is formed of a landscaped area to the north of the site, existing car park, helipad (used for storage) and pedestrian walkways. A separate field, located to the north of the site, has been included to provide Biodiversity Net Gain.”

Callington Town Council said it supported the development, which was approved by Cornwall Council with additional conditions.

AN application has been made for the replacement of an existing lightweight metal garage in rear garden with a masonry-built structure and the erection of a five metre diameter planetarium to the rear garden.

The application concerns 42 Dunheved Road, Launceston, PL15 9JQ and can be found under reference PA25/07248.

PROPOSALS for the removal and replacement of part of a concrete and slate tiled patio with a lighter weight wooden decking area for a property in Boscastle has been submitted to Cornwall Council.

The application has been made in respect of the property at 5 Valency Row, Boscastle, PL35 0HB with more details to be found using the reference PA25/07811.

MODIFICATION works to a listed building in Port Isaac has been filed with Cornwall Council.

If approved, it would see the demolition of an existing porch, described by the applicant as being substandard, with its replacement in the form of a sunroom. It is a resubmission of a previous approval for a similar scheme and was applied for in 2021.

The address at the centre of the application is 18 Middle Street, Port Isaac, PL29 3RH with the reference of PA25/07018.

AMENDMENTS to a Section 106 agreement to make it mortgageable to a new buyer for a property in Launceston has been agreed by Cornwall Council.

It sought consent for the revocation of a Section 106 agreement from March 2010 to replace it with a new deed.

It allows the property to be changed from the requirement of a shared equity sale, which cannot be used for a mortgage to a discounted market sale, which means it can be sold on the open market at a price cheaper than what it would ordinarily achieve, in this instance 70 per cent of the market value.

The Section 106 condition was in place as the dwelling was one of those allocated as an affordable property when the development was initially constructed by Wainhomes.

The application, concerning 49 Kit Hill View, Launceston, PL15 9EF can be found using reference PA25/03116.