22 July 2016
LOOE TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC PLANNING MEETING RESULT
++++++++ UPDATE ON PA16/03990 FOR 174 HOUSES WEST LOOE ++++++++
We have been advised by Cornwall Council that the above planning application has been withdrawn by the applicant's agent.
Cornish Times July 29, 2016 - West Looe Plan is Put on Hold...
"Plans to build up to 174 new houses on land at the top of West Looe have been put on hold. An application by South West Strategic Developments (SWSD) which was due to be considered by Cornwall Council in September, has been withdrawn, said the council. The proposal for a residential development on agricultural land off Polperro Road generated much opposition, not least from Cornwall Councillor Edwina Hannaford, who holds the portfolio for Planning with the local authority. But anyone hoping to have heard the last from the developer may be disappointed – the developer’s agent, Jillings Heynes Planning, says that the application has been withdrawn to allow technical issues to be addressed. The planning department at Cornwall Council has requested clarification on certain aspects."
The Looe Strategy Group awaits further information and asks the public to be aware that the application may be re-submitted once the developer has determined his best way forward in light of all the objections.
Any new application may start from scratch as far as public comments are concerned, so those who have already made objections may wish to retain for future use the details of their submissions, plus all the other information that has been kept in abeyance and is yet to be submitted.
Any new application may start from scratch as far as public comments are concerned, so those who have already made objections may wish to retain for future use the details of their submissions, plus all the other information that has been kept in abeyance and is yet to be submitted.
LOOE TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC PLANNING MEETING RESULT
The applicant's agents and representatives from Cornwall Council were in attendance. It was an opportunity for residents to express their opinions about the proposals and to ask questions which they did with a great deal of passion.
Having heard all the arguments and debated the scheme, Looe Town Council concluded the meeting by voting unanimously to recommend refusal of the application for the following reasons, as proposed by Cllr Edwina Hannaford:
- Object.
- Overwhelming lack of local support, 82 objections and no support.
- Need has not been demonstrated therefore scale is too large (Policy 9).
- No assessment of best use of land. Safeguarding 3a/b Agricultural Land (Policy 22).
- No archaeological assessment provided (Policy 24).
- Local policies on land and seascape harm not presented including setting of AONB, SW Coast Path and undeveloped coastline (Policy 23).
- Insufficient assessment of drainage and flood impact (Policy 26).
- No viability assessment supplied to justify the scale – affordable housing zone 4 not met (Policy 8/9).
- One way in and one way out of the site, if the road became blocked no access for emergency services (Policy 27).
- Against Cornwall Local Plan Policies 8, 9, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 27.
The Deputy Head of Planning, Nigel Doyle, said they want to hear from residents who have further points to make and extended the deadline for submission of these until the end of July.
LOOE STRATEGY GROUP WEB POLL RESULT :
updated July 2016
Proposed new housing development Polperro Road, West Looe
Land on the South Side of Polperro Road, West Looe. Outline application for up to 174 dwellings to include consideration of access onto Polperro Road, with all other matters reserved for future consideration.
Application validated: 8 June 2016,
Application reference: PA16/03990
Status: Withdrawn by the applicant 20 July 2016
Case Officer: Paul Banks,
Landowner: Mr & Mrs M Cotton,
Developer: South West Strategic Developments
Agent: Jillings Heynes Planning, Exeter
Ward Councillor: Edwina Hannaford CC
Landowner: Mr & Mrs M Cotton,
Developer: South West Strategic Developments
Agent: Jillings Heynes Planning, Exeter
Ward Councillor: Edwina Hannaford CC
Representations: online or email planning@cornwall.gov.uk with copy to Looe Town Council (LTC)
or post to:
Cornwall Planning
Cornwall Planning
Chy Trevail,
Beacon Technology Park,
Bodmin
PL13 2FR
Representations Deadline: 30 June 2016 extended to the end of July
Determination Deadline: 07 September 2016.
We had encouraged those who thought the impact of these proposals would be bad for Looe to submit a comment to Cornwall Planning if they wanted to stop them taking place, but we do not know whether the 89 letters of objection from residents, with none in favour and the lack of support for the proposals from Looe Town Council influenced the withdrawal. However the applicant would have been acutely aware of this and the overwhelming local opposition shown by the exit poll of the 250 who attended the public consultation in February and the 170 who made their feelings known at the town planning meeting in June.
Our submission to Cornwall Planning dated 20th June 2016...
The
Looe Strategy Group believes in supporting appropriate development
that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in
Looe, but feels that these proposals, because of their scale and their
location, considerably fail to meet the 'sustainable development' goals of
national planning policy.
We
have the following concerns:
Environment
1.
This is a
greenfield site used for farming. The soil is classified as being partly Grade
3b moderate quality agricultural land but mostly (83%) Grade 3a good
quality agricultural land which would be lost to the farming community should the development proceed.
2.
We await
advice from the RSPB and Cornwall Wildlife Trust regarding the loss of ground-nesting
habitat for the breeding skylarks confirmed on the site. These
are red-listed threatened species of high conservation priority. The new
'skylark plots' proposed in mitigation would not be used by the birds as the
area allocated is too small, too sloping and too close to the main road.
3.
Building
a very large estate of 174 houses up to the skyline would harm the landscape
character of the approaches to Looe from Polperro or Pelynt and from further
afield with parallels to what has happened on the other hillside at East Looe
where an estate roughly half the size (99 houses in Barratts Phase 1) under construction and highly visible.
4.
It would
adversely impact the setting of adjacent Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Infrastructure
Infrastructure
5.
We don't
believe Looe has a robust enough infrastructure to support development of this
scale. The roads are full of bends, mostly narrow and often steep. They are affected by subsidence and difficult
for HGV's.
6.
The Looe
health centre has no space left for expansion, with Pelynt and Polperro being
the only other options. A local NH dentist doesn't exist.
7.
The
sewage treatment works was built early 70's when the population of Looe
was two thirds its current size. The facilities are already under strain, particularly
in the summer months and operating beyond design capacity. Any failure would
have implications for bathing water quality which is so important to the
economy of Looe.
Access
Access
8.
The proposed
new road junction with Polperro Road (A387) for access to the site is located
close to a bend and could present an accident potential for road users.
9.
Pedestrian
access is dangerous, both via the A387, which has no footpath for 720m in the
direction of Looe, and via Downs Lane/ West Looe Hill where the narrow carriageway has to be
shared with vehicular traffic. The third option offered by a proposed link
to West Looe Downs would take one down steps and across grassland which is muddy in winter and
impractical for pushchairs, wheelchairs or bike users.
10.
The
Cornwall SHLAA marks this site down due to distance from both primary and
secondary schools exacerbated by topography (elevation of site is 117mts
above river level) and the need to drop down to cross the river and climb a similar height to access the other side of
town.
11.
Because
few would undertake this walk and cycling is virtually impossible, the development would
aggravate road traffic congestion in Looe generally and would harm the
environmental and amenity conditions in the area.
12.
We
believe that the conservation area of West Looe Hill is at risk of being used
as a short-cut by motorists/ delivery vehicles causing deterioration of
the highway, the services under it and buildings that flank it, many of which are
listed as Grade II heritage assets built with no foundations.
Drainage
Drainage
13.
What
happens to the water run-off if we cover the hills surrounding Looe with tarmac
and concrete? Most of the landslips in the town appear to have been caused by
the top layer of earth sliding off lower layers of Devonian slate lubricated by
water penetrating the sub-strata some of which comes from deep man-made soakaways exacerbating
the situation.
Housing Numbers
Housing Numbers
14.
Is this
just phase one of a multi-phase project for the development of the whole plot
shown on the landowner’s pre-app plans in 2012 and by Cornwall’s SHLAA in 2016
as having a capacity for 500 dwellings? The concern is that a precedent for 174
houses may lead to adjacent land being incrementally developed until the plot
is filled.
15.
If the
population count for Looe is roughly static (Census records show it declined 3%
between 2001 and 2011) and the demographic is towards an older population, why
are we being told there is a need for so many more houses in Looe over and above the Barratts
provision and other recent planning approvals and applications already in the
pipeline?
16. The Council’s
Local Plan policy for new housing in Cornwall is for its dispersal. The Plan
target for Liskeard & Looe CNA Residual is 1,500 new homes up to 2030. If
this is divided pro-rata the size of each parish in the CNA then Looe’s quota
is roughly 380. Take away commitments/ completions of 299 leaves a balance of just
81 more dwellings to satisfy the remaining 14-year plan period. (see Local Plan housing targets)
17.
The
Homechoice Register shows 339 persons seeking accommodation in Looe. Of these
far the largest proportion is classified as Band E having nil welfare priority/
already adequately housed. There are 74 applicants assessed within Bands A to C as having a medium to high
welfare priority of which the majority are seeking one-bedroomed rented
accommodation. Existing permissions at Barratts, Glebelands, Rame View, Tregarrick
Road and others planned would already satisfy much of the need without additional large-scale building.
18.
Of the
75% open-market properties proposed many are 4 and 5 bedroomed. We believe a
significant proportion would be taken by buyers from outside the area seeking
either to relocate or for use as second homes and holiday lets.
19.
Looe is
assessed as being in Value Zone 4 (not 5) so the affordable housing proportion
should be a minimum of 30% of the properties (53 units) not 25% as proposed. To satisfy local need, shouldn't
we be encouraging self-builds and less intrusive small clusters of 'affordable'
development within Looe's existing settlement boundary or small affordable-led
'exception sites' for local builders instead?
Employment
Employment
20.
Job
opportunities in the area are limited and unemployment in the 16 to 24 years
age group is high. Barratts have not been able to sell their employment land
and those seeking jobs would inevitably have to travel to other towns for work
which is not sustainable in planning terms.
Community Consultation
Community Consultation
21.
Results
of the recent consultation indicates very little appetite within the
community for further building of this scale (polls show 94% against) and we
believe it is premature to determine this application now when the
Neighbourhood Plan is just starting to make decisions about the future shape of
Looe.
This is the Developer's Master Plan for Phase One
Cornwall Council's Land Availability Plan shows the whole site has a capacity for 500 houses
 |
click ↓ here ↓ to follow progress on this and other developments
Scroll to the bottom of page to make comment or see other readers' comments
Results of West Looe Downs Development Public Consultation
The developer arranged a public consultation on Friday 19th February 2016 with an exhibition in the Millpool Centre from 2pm to 7.30pm. This was an opportunity for Looe residents to register any concerns they might have about the proposals and to influence the outcome.
Despite being a damp and miserable day many more than expected visited the consultation. Those that did will know that the Looe Strategy Group carried out an exit poll at the door to assess the level of support for the proposals.
The question asked was "are you for or against the development?" There was an overwhelming response against as follows:
3 V O T E S F O R
2 3 0 A G A I N S T
1 5 U N D E C I D E D
2 D I D N ' T W I S H T O S A Y
 |
| The plans were on show for residents to see (photograph c/o Cornish Guardian) |
"Most people do not pick up on the building applications until machinery actually moves onto the site, by which time it is far too late - the more of the locals that know what is going on and make their objections, the better. Development will happen - the country apparently is crying out for houses as there is a mass shortage - why I do not know, could it be for the influx of all these visitors as we have no sufficient border controls. It is fair to say that if you purchase a house at the moment that looks over a field, then beware, that field will not remain that way, it will be built on - little villages will be no longer - you can see it happening. Drainage is a major key, it is a real problem. Plus the points about skyline building, the sites at St Martins and West Looe Downs are very prominent heights. It will ruin the skyline of such a beautiful area. Developers know that they can develop because the Government have build targets and they intend to push planning through without what they call all the red tape, but all that is necessary to prevent the problems that have happened at St Martins. I hope that everyone will get together in Looe to fight the West Looe development at the start and let the powers that be know they are being watched closely."
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6 January 2016
For those of you who did not receive a consultation leaflet through the door, the following website shows the proposed housing development on fields between the Downs and Portlooe at the top of West Looe Hill > http://www.thedownslooe.co.uk/
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We understand that the consultation results will be used to support an 'outline' planning application to establish the principle of building on this particular parcel of land.
We have put together a list of ten good planning reasons why the local authority should think twice about allowing any such large-scale housing developments in Looe...
- 1 Recent instability of the Looe’s sloping hillsides has resulted in a large number of landslips, damage to highways/ road closures of St Martins Road, Elm Tree Road, Bass Hill, North Road and Hannafore Road harming business and in one instance leading to loss of life.
2 Barratts Phase 2 planning application for 82 dwellings on land designated in the development plan for housing was refused due to concerns over recent history of surface water drainage causing land stability issues and downstream flooding.
3 The underlying geology of the town and impact of increasing levels of winter rainfall due to climate change has not been properly examined or currently understood.
4 The town also suffers tidal flooding and over the last couple of years significant damage to quays and sea defences. The town centre and essential services; Fire Station, Health Centre and Police HQ are all close to sea/ river level and susceptible to flood disruption which could limit their effectiveness in these conditions.
5 The road network in and around Looe is sub-standard and routes to Liskeard, the main town in the Community Network Area, contain sections of single track.
6 Other infrastructure provision, e.g. health service, sewage treatment works is under strain with no capacity for further growth.
7 Looe does not have 360 degrees of land available for housing growth with sea and rivers taking up more than half. Any development would inevitably impact landscape character being either coastal, hilltop, Area of Great Landscape Value or within the setting of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
8 The land surrounding Looe is quality agricultural farming land and amongst the best found in Cornwall.
9 There is already a shortage of employment in Looe forcing people to travel for work. There are no well paid jobs and unemployment in the 16 to 24 years age group is high.
10 Looe's identity as a maritime port and fishing harbour is an invaluable asset, both in terms of giving the community a sense of pride and identity and also by providing a unique selling point for business and leisure/ tourism sectors. The urbanisation of the surrounding areas would result in a dilution of the town's unique identity.
PREVIOUS PLANNING HISTORY OF THE SITE
Land At Portlooe Barton Farm West Looe Hill West Looe PL13 2HY
from Cornwall Council website...
__________________________________________________________________________
Mr N Bhasin of Cornwall Council speaking at a Looe Town Council planning committee meeting on 7 August 2012 said that the housing numbers (as per the Core Strategy) show that there is not a strong requirement at the moment but this is under review, the chances of an application such as this going through are slim unless the need can be proven, speculative planning is not encouraged.
He added that according to the housing register the overall requirement for bands A-D is 100 then 165 from band E upwards, these figures do not include the provision being made by the Barratt Homes development.
__________________________________________________________________________
Yet again someone is proposing to place a huge slab of concrete on top of a hill !!! On Saturday 9th January 2016 my Wife and I were returning home to West Looe Hill past this proposed site and Portlooe Barton Farm during an horrendous downpour. West looe Hill was awash as the current drainage system could not cope with the volume of water running down the hill. One can only imagine what the consequences would be if this occurred with a slab of concrete sitting on top of the hill. We seriously believe that it is high time that our leaders stepped back and gave more serious thought to the consequences of adding further housing to an already fragile infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteWe really hope that common sense will prevail here and this development will be shelved for good.
ReplyDeleteMay we point out the following :-
ReplyDeleteAll land sales/construction are built generally to make money or they would not be undertaken.
After construction has taken place, the companies and associates involved have moved on and consideration should be made towards local residents,
As problems may and do occur,
Leaving local, town councils , councilors and residents subject to the mess !!!!!!!!
Environmental issues:
As we all know the weather pattern in England is changing and we are experiencing very heavy rain falls and storms, recently in Northern England, and three years ago, in the South West. The devastation is terrible to properties that have been built in and around flood plains
To carry out this construction will create a reduction of green fields and open land which would normally absorb the rain water.
Concrete and tarmacing used in creating new housing may put existing properties under risk of landslip, the water has to go somewhere.
West Looe Hill, has underground springs and water running constantly down the hill, drains which overflow on a regular basis.
If landslip was to occur which is a distinct possibility then existing properties may be subject to refusal of home insurance and may render considerable loss in value of existing homes.
A property in East Looe collapsed, speculation was that this may have been caused by landslip from the new development at St Martins. Although this can
Never really be confirmed .
Additional sewage and drainage upgrades may well be required if the pump house at mill pool cannot handle increased volume, the cost of this being passed on to residents utility bills under the veil of general upgrading, hiding the fact that it was only necessary due to the new build.
Local resources
Who knows what Increased stresses will be placed on local communities
and amenities :delayed times at doctors,dentists,if say two people and sibling per property may have 3 cars per household so parking for 20 plus properties in town,and surrounding area. Maybe they can put up parking prices in parking area to deter car users’. Are there enough local jobs, etc,etc,etc I’m sure there are other spin offs that I haven’t thought of, some good, some not so.
We are not talking about a small existing single property being extended or rebuilt here at a slow pace, indeed over the years derelict existing buildings have been refurbished and brought back to life at a controlled gradual rate, which can only be good for the town and its residents.
Skeptically I wonder if the number of proposed build is so high only to be followed with a reduced number hoping people will think, oh no only ….…..that’s ok.
And if this build was allowed, what’s next!!!!
I wholeheartedly agree that the proposed development is entirely inappropriate both in scale and location.
ReplyDeleteIn these times of ever-increasing rainfall, the loss of drainage is almost certain to cause significant flood risk issues (and possible landslip, as experienced in East Looe 3 yrs ago) to West Looe Hill, Tregarrick, Downs Lane and possibly Portbyhan Road. This can clearly be seen from the contours of the development land. The suggestion to put a "pond", which would surely overflow, above Downs Lane/West Looe Hill is ridiculous (see the results of an almost identical exercise in Bideford by a new development, where the Council have just confirmed this was the cause of flooding by putting blue dye in the "pond" water).
It should also be noted that there is already significant development both provided and ongoing by Barrett in Looe. Although this is not ideal, at least it is near where more infrastructure, including schools/college and far better road access to Liskeard, Plymouth and elsewhere exists. I do not believe another large development is desired or necessary. Substantial building in West Looe, as proposed, will obviously cause more unnecessary road congestion and pollution. It will also be visible from many places throughout the town and the surrounding area, and risks destroying the fabric of a relatively small tourist and fishing town - for residents and tourists alike.
Overall infrastructure in Looe is also inadequate for the proposals; there are current issues with sewage; doctors/dentists/schools are also under severe pressure.
I would encourage everyone to make representations of the many reasons not to have this size of development (either as a whole or piecemeal) in Looe, to Cornwall Council once the planning is submitted. (Rather than to the Developer)
Looe has a big drainage problem and being hilly the water obviously finds its way downwards towards the town and houses built on the hillside.To build a housing estate on the fields above Looe is just madness and asking for trouble.West Looe Hill already has water running down the hill in bad weather and with added concrete built on the fields above, water running down would escalate the problem with serious consequences of flooding in properties at the bottom.This also applies to Polperro Road,Tregarrick and Portloe.Putting in drains is not an option because they are never cleared of the leaves/debris which fall in.
ReplyDeleteWe are fortunate to have a very pretty town which is surrounded by the most beautiful countryside and to build an estate on both entrances to this town is self destructive both on our heritage and tourism which is the main source of income, especially two such vast estates which is a huge blot on the landscape and detracts from the look and heritage of this Cornish town.
It really is beyond belief that with the problems of doctors and schools waiting lists, sewerage and drainage problems,this is even being considered and I hope common sense prevails in the end.
...thanks Joanne, your comments are appreciated.
DeleteUnbelievable - that's all i can say - i have no doubt that Cornwall Council and it's Councillors will have there nose in the trough somewhere!!!
ReplyDeleteLeave Looe alone. It does not need or require any further development. You ask our opinions.... LISTEN to them. Our passionate responses are not based on fluffy hearsay; we have definite, conclusive reasons as to why this will not work. If you ignore what we all know as long-term residents, the onus and blame is well and truly fixed on you. Can you afford that kind of bad press, never mind all the revenue you'll waste? Think for yourselves. Look at the facts. Hear what we say! Move on....!
ReplyDeleteWhy are you trying to ruin our little town? Holidaymakers come here to escape the concrete jungles - Looe is a small fishing community, with lovely surroundings but people just want to make money by building houses in a pime location regardless of the risks and inconvenience to the local community. Surely there are other locations more suitable IF more housing is required. And will local,people really purchase these houses. Exactly how many will be 'affordable"?
ReplyDeleteWhat a blot on the landscape 174 houses will be, visible for miles around. We already have one
Development in east Looe so the approach to the town is marred. Not one in West Looe please.
It is a sad irony that common sense is actually so rare - especially where planning matters are concerned. One reason, already alluded to, is the fact that the decision makers are woefully ignorant of local knowledge and conditions. Very often these people are not from the area. I would like to focus on one point in particular, though I, of course, acknowledge that there are so many other valid points as to why these developments should not take place. Despite all the work that took place at Sandplace Road, following the avoidable death of Susan and our own displacement from our home for eighteen months,we have recently seen two further landslips: the first at Sandplace Road along from where the retaining wall was built and the second, more serious one, at the St. Martin's Road junction a few days later. This second one woke my wife and I up and made so much noise that we thought something had fallen over in our loft ! What does the fact that the sound travelled through the substratum so clearly tell us about the structure and stability of this ground ? Once again we residents at Sandplace Road are left to wonder just how safe we are in our beds. Profit ahead of safety ? It seems so. Tim Topham
ReplyDeleteThis is a comment about the futility of hiding the SKYLINE HOUSING ESTATE with trees.
ReplyDeleteThese houses are in sight on the skyline from every direction.
The developers say they will hide them with trees.
At the same time they draw attention to the wonderful views the new owners will have!
Will those new owners be pleased to have those trees outside their windows and gardens? Will they cherish those trees?
A month before they published the intention to seek planning permission, the owner of these fields cut down a stand of 50 foot high trees left to grow in the hedge across the proposed site.
Those high trees did significantly break the skyline where the houses would be built.
That tells us all we need to know about the developer's true attitude to hiding these houses with trees.
Have you thought about the junction of the proposed NEW SITE ACCESS ROAD and the existing main road from Polperro to Looe?
ReplyDeleteThis will be another awkward up hill turning on this busy road.
The existing 30 MPH limit, which is currently in the wood some way down the hill into Looe, will have to be moved back into the country nearer Polperro to accommodate that new junction.
It will not be "country" any longer.
William H Eliot.
Is our local Council representative Edwina Hunnaford in agreement?
ReplyDelete