Update on the “eco-community”

Since my last blog on this subject, I have been at a number of Cornwall Council meetings where the “eco-community” has been discussed.

Last Monday (18th April), members of the Strategic Planning Committee had an informal site visit in order for the members of the Committee to see the area for the proposed development at an early stage. We were driven around in land-rovers by Imerys staff, but there was no lobbying, as the site visit was led by the planning officer dealing with the application. Cllr Matt Luke and I also attended the visit.

From what we heard, it seems the application is still some months away from going to a formal meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee.

In the evening, I was at a meeting of the China Clay Area Community Network. It was decided to invite the planning officer dealing with the application to the next meeting, which take place on the 20th June, and which members of the public would be able to attend.

And on Friday (22nd April), I chaired a meeting of the Planning PAC (Policy Advisory Committee) which was looking at the draft Allocations Development Plan Document. This would be linked to the Cornwall Local Plan and identify those housing, employment and other key allocations around key towns needed to “deliver” the growth set out in the Local Plan.

The document now includes the so-called eco-communities at West Carclaze & Baal and Par.

I had plenty to say on this section and challenged how it had been written and I also objected to the reference to the potential regeneration opportunities at Goonbarrow, Blackpool and Nanpean / Drinnick within the document.

This section also included a vision which was to “regenerate despoiled land” though this missed the point, noted elsewhere, that “much of the land is subject to restoration conditions” anyway.

I could go on, but the document is being redrafted and there will be a public consultation on the Allocations DPD after the next stage of the Examination in Public (which recommences in on May 16th). I will let everyone know when this is happening.