Andy England, Assistant Head of Planning and Regeneration ...

Case Study : Rural
Community Based
Planning & Local
Development
Orders
Andy England Assistant Head of Planning &
Regeneration
Cornwall Council

The Cornwall experience so far…
• New Unitary -Localism Agenda/Team
• Training – External / Internal
• Local Council Planning Forum
• Protocols – pre-app, + applications
• Friendly Planning Parish Link Officers
• CRCC Template work – parish plans
• LDO Feock/ Carnon Downs
• Cornwall Design Guide/ Next LDO
• Building Capacity/ Managing Expectations

Localism in Cornwall
• The building blocks for this new approach are as
follows:
• Cornwall Council Members – a new role for
councillors
• Town and Parish Councils – new opportunities
and a new relationship with Cornwall Council
• Voluntary and Community Sector – new support
and opportunities for community organisations
• Community Networks – new forums to bring the
council and the community together
• Area Working – a new drive for joined up working
within the council and with partners
• Localism staff – a new team dedicated to making
this work

Community Networks

Community Networks
• The purpose of the community
network:
• involve local communities in improving local
services;
• identify, agree and then deliver local
priorities;
• enable local councillors to have more
influence over the delivery of services to
the communities they represent; and
• enable communities to make choices about
the way in which services are delivered in
their areas.

2008 Town & Parish Survey
• 72% want to get more involved in planning
• Involvement in
• Minor applications
• Affordable housing
• Policies
• Enforcement……..
• Need for:
• Training
• Communication…………..

Training
• Worked with Cornwall Association
of Local Councils (CALC)–
identified training needs as key
issue.
• Initial County wide introductory
sessions.
• Annual programme of training
events established.

Seminar/ Workshop Programme
• Feedback – very positive.
• More informed Local Council’s
• More aware of how to engage in
planning
• Building relationships

Local Council Planning Forum
• All day (Saturday) Forum held late last
year.
• Established working groups for topic areas
– e.g. pre-applications.
• Opportunity to update and share good
practice.
• 2 nd Forum in February – Localism Bill.

Application Protocol
• Enhanced consultation procedure
• Designed to improve parity/
communications
• Ability to call meeting/ site
meeting
• Additional 5 days to resolve

Friendly Planning Link Officers
• Each local council has an identified
friendly planning link officer
• Improved communications
• Easy access
• Building relationships & trust

Parish Plan Templates/ Resource
Sheets
• Working with Cornwall Rural Community
Council
• Producing Resource sheets for local
councils to aid parish plan work
• Consultation techniques
• Fit with strategic plans
• Endorsement process

Parish Plans – Draft Topic Sheets
• Community
• Housing/ Community Safety/ Health / Adult Social
Care /Planning / Governance/ Culture & Heritage /
facilities.
• Local Services and Amenities
• Community Buildings/ Children & Young People / Local
Services/ Allotments/ Recreation & leisure.
• Movement and Access
• Traffic /Transport / Rights of way.
• Economy
• Economy & Employment/ Education & Training/
Tourism.
• Environment
• Natural (inc. AONB, green spaces, beaches,
countryside , conservation etc) /Waste &
recycling/ Environmental health/ Energy.

Local Development Order Pilot
Project

Localism Opportunity
•Feock Parish Council expression of
interest
•Parish Plan in place
•Desire to produce a design guide
•Well run and resourced parish
council
•Local decision making opportunity

• Public Consultation Event
• Project team established
• Issues set at first meeting
• Detailed project Plan
• Community driven
• Support from professionals at CC
• Outline issues for Guide established
• Defined purposes as necessary to manage
change
• Set targets for clear illustrative working
documents

Field Studies – Evidence Base
• Key to the success of the project.
• Evidence base gathered over
three full days.
• Review of general design and landscape issues
in and outside the village.
• Established what contribution each issue made
to local character.
• Established distinct
character zones.

Design Guide
• Clear and simple guidance for the design
of all development in the village based on
its character.
• Will help to ensure that any new
development or change in the village is in
harmony with and makes a positive
contribution to the overall environment
• Makes sense of the LDO

Approved Design Guide

• All contentious planning applications now
influenced in some way.
• Parish Council reviews planning applications
differently and more professionally.
• Relationships with CC improved.
• Parish Plan objectives met.
• Guide provides evidence base for future
pre-application discussions.
• The basis for input to local spatial planning.

Extent of LDO

Current Status of LDO
• Will provide extended rights that will permit
(within certain limitations)
• Extensions at the front of properties.
• Allow additions to the roof at the front.
• Allow porches up 5 square metres.
• Different rights will apply to different
character areas within the village.
• Requirement to notify Feock Parish Council.
• Operational arrangements in place by April.

LDO PROJECT SUCCESSFUL
• Decisions on compliance with LDO devolved
to Parish Council.
• Within the limitations set non-contentious
minor applications will be taken out of the
planning system.
• Processes cheaper and quicker.
• Design led approach will maintain local
character.
• Community driven.
• Presents opportunities for other parish
councils.
• Limitation - possibly the no. of cases/
complexity.

eactive
enforcement
decision made
last minute negotiation
Process / timeline
completed development
assessed against
CS/SCS
a p p l i c a t i o n p r o c e s s
initial discussions
limited
pre applications
section 106 & compliance
monitoring
application
process
community
engagement
pre application
discussions
• town/parish
council
• local members
• local community
• planning liaison
• stakeholders
• case officer
• section 106
Hof T agreed
• SCI signed off
pre app
pre app

New Projects
• Cornwall Design Guide - Key element will
be a template/ toolkit for local response.
• Newquay Airport LDO.

Building Capacity
• Capacity and resources limited
• Cornwall has 213 parish and town
councils, 28 of which are town councils
and 1 city council.
• Templates and toolkits help
• Community involvement important
• Overview important – e.g. Localism team/
CALC/ CRCC.