So-called “eco-community” development passed at today’s Strategic Planning Committee Meeting

This morning, the members of the Strategic Planning Committee voted by 17 votes to three to approve the planning application for an “eco-community” near Penwithick.

At the meeting, opposition to the proposal came from a representative of Treverbyn Parish Council (Peter Clemo) and Mebyon Kernow’s two Cornwall Councillors from the China Clay Area; Matt Luke (Penwithick & Boscoppa) and myself (St Enoder). 

Obviously, it is well-documented that Matt and I have opposed the scheme for a decade.

In our speeches we covered a wide range of planning matters and focussed on the massive level of local opposition, but it was to no avail.

The main argument stated for approval was that the scheme was allocated as a development site within the Cornwall Local Plan, but these were the same councillors who rejected a call from MK to remove the “eco-community” allocation from the Local Plan in 2015!

In terms of the vote, the scheme was backed by seven Liberal Democrats, five Conservatives, four independents and one Labour councillor.

The three who opposed the “eco-community” were Andrew Long (MK), John Fitter (Conservative) and Malcolm Harris (Independent).