1 CORNWALL LOCAL PLAN PLACE-BASED TOPIC PAPER: LAUNCESTON COMMUNITY NETWORK AREA 1 Summary 3 Purpose of paper 4 Launceston Community Network Area 5 Key Facts 6 Community Planning Visions 9 Issues Tables 9 Introduction 10 Housing 12 Local Economy 14 Retail and Town Centres 16 Transport and Accessibility 18 Community facilities 20 People 21 Environment 23 Appendix A: Landscape Character information from the 2007 Cornwall Landscape Character Assessment Launceston Place Based Topic Paper - March 2013 Contents
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1CORNWALL LOCAL PLAN PLACE-BASED TOPIC PAPER:LAUNCESTON COMMUNITY NETWORK AREA
1Summary3Purpose of paper4Launceston Community Network Area5Key Facts6Community Planning Visions9Issues Tables9Introduction10Housing12Local Economy14Retail and Town Centres16Transport and Accessibility18Community facilities20People21Environment
23Appendix A: Landscape Character information from the 2007Cornwall Landscape Character Assessment
Launceston Place Based Topic Paper - March 2013
Contents
Launceston Place Based Topic Paper - March 2013
Contents
Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: LauncestonCommunity Network Area
Summary
Table .1
This paper explores and brings together the key issues to be addressed by the CornwallLocal Plan that are specific to the Launceston Community Network Area. The key issuesare:
Issue 1 – Enable the provision of affordable housing.
Issue 2 – Enable the provision of employment and sites in step with housing growth; considerprioritising suitable brownfield land.
Issue 3 – Improve the provision of and access to community services and facilities, especiallyhealth services and public open space.
Issue 4 – Tackle congestion in Launceston town.
Issue 5 – Improve surface water drainage in Launceston.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Local Plan Objectives for Launceston CNA:
Objective 1 – Affordable Housing: Enable the provision of affordable housing.
Objective 2 – Employment in Launceston: Sustain and enhance Launceston town’semployment role, through the provision of employment sites and necessary infrastructure.
Objective 3 – Employment Opportunities: Raise the quality and quantity of employmentopportunities, including prioritising the use of brownfield sites for employment.
Objective 4 – Community Services: Improve the provision of and access to communityservices and facilities, especially sustainable transport, health services, further and highereducation and training opportunities and public open space.
Objective 5 – Infrastructure: To deliver the highway and sustainable transport infrastructureneeded to support the delivery of future housing and economic growth and to deliver otherinfrastructure required for the growth of the area.
Objective 6 – Congestion: Tackle congestion in Launceston.
Objective 7 – Drainage: Improve surface water drainage in Launceston.
Objective 8 – Heritage Assets: Maintain and enhance the area’s heritage assets for thecommunity’s
benefit and to enhance the area’s tourism offer.
Local Plan Policy (PP14) for Launceston CNA:
1. Development will be permitted where it can be demonstrated that the following prioritiesfor Launceston can be satisfied:
a) The protection of the vitality and viability of Launceston town centre through the promotionof retail, office and leisure uses. Proposals for change of use or redevelopment will only bepermitted within the Primary Shopping Area if the proposal adds to the attractiveness of thecentre and does not reduce the predominance of A1 retail use.
b) The need for the provision of around 8,450sqm of B1a office accommodation and16,900sqm of Industrial space has been identified. This has the potential of accommodating900 jobs in the CNA over the plan period.
c) The provision of around 1,100 dwellings in the period up to 2030. To be identified in theCornwall Towns Allocations DPD.
d) Provision of further and higher education facilities in the CNA.
e) The retention and enhancement of heritage assets with a particular focus on enhancingthe tourism offer of the CNA and of Launceston.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
2. In the remainder of the Community Network Area development will be permitted whereit supports
the following priorities:
a) The provision of around 400 dwellings in the period up to 2030.
b) Development should help rebalance the communities by providing facilities, economicdevelopment or housing for local needs of a scale that is appropriate to the settlement andreduces the need to travel.
c) Development should deliver community benefits in the form of affordable housing for localpeople
and contributions to requirements for facilities, services and infrastructure identified locally.
Purpose of paper
This is one of a series of papers whose main purpose is to identify the key issues for a specificarea of Cornwall. There are nineteen Community Network Areas in Cornwall, based on groupingsof parishes as shown on the map below. Community Network Areas were introduced to givecommunities a stronger voice in helping them deal with complex issues. In this they offer a valuableconduit through which the proposed Local Plan: Part 2 Policy Messages for Places can be refinedto reflect local issues through engagement, policy formulation, delivery and local ownership. Furtherin format ion on Communi ty Network Areas can be found athttp://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=12439.
The issues have been identified from a variety of sources including plans and proposals of otherorganisations. Parish plans have been very useful in identifying issues, and a summary of the‘visions’ for each of the parish plans undertaken in the Launceston Community Network Area isincluded in the section on "Community Planning Visions". A full list of the Issues Papers can beaccessed on the Council’s website at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=22887.
For the purposes of this paper, ‘Launceston’ is used to refer to the town and its immediatesurroundings, and the ‘rural hinterland’ to the wider Launceston area outside of the town.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Description ~ The Launceston Community Network Area covers 15 parishes containing a rangeof settlements as shown on the map below. The settlement pattern in this Community NetworkArea is characterised by a relatively large number of small settlements and amedium sizedmarkettown. The market town of Launceston is the main settlement within this area, and acts as the localservice centre to the many smaller settlements in the area, as well as to the nearest settlementsacross the Devon border. Larger villages in the area include Altarnun/Five Lanes, Coads Green,Egloskerry, Lewanninck, North Hill, Petherwin Gate, South Petherwin, Stoke Climsland/Venterdonand Tregadillett.
The main transport link to the functional area is the A30 which runs centrally through the CommunityNetwork Area and alongside Launceston. Despite the A30, much of the area can be classified asremote, owing to the length of time it takes to travel within the area and to the A30 (or A39). Thelarger villages and Launceston provide for the basic day to day needs of the area’s inhabitants,with a number of mobile services serving the smaller settlements. For other, more strategic servicesand facilities inhabitants must travel to larger service centres outside the area, notably Bodmin,Truro, Exeter and Plymouth.
Links with other areas: The area does have employment related links with the Bodmin CommunityNetwork Area and with Exeter (both via the A30) and (via the A388) with Plymouth; inhabitants ofthe western part of the area look to Camelford for employment and services, although east-west
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
links are time-consuming. Launceston is the first Cornish town when approaching Cornwall on theA30 and much of Launceston’s employment is related to its easy road access to the rest of thecountry.
Key Facts
Key facts about the Launceston Community Network Area include the following (follow this linkwww.cornwall.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=20177 for the latest version of the Launceston CommunityNetwork Profile which gives more information):
PARISHES: Altarnun, Boyton, Egloskerry, Laneast, Launceston, Lawhitton Rural, Lewannick,Lezant, North Hill, North Petherwin, South Petherwin, Stoke Climsland, St Stephens By LauncestonRural, St Thomas the Apostle Rural, Trewen and Werrington.
POPULATION: Launceston CNA’s population is nearly 18,200, with 8,600 in the town ofLaunceston. For the period 2001-2008, the population growth rate was higher (11%) than theCornwall average (6%). The age distribution is similar to the Cornwall average, although there areslightly higher proportions of the population in the 0-14 and 40-54 age groups. The populationdensity of the area is only about a third of that for the whole of Cornwall (0.6 per hectare as opposedto 1.5 per hectare), making this a predominantly rural area.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
ENVIRONMENT: The size of the area is just over 28,500 hectares. Bodmin Moor is designatedas part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a large part of which lies within this networkarea. The south eastern part of the area lies in the Tamar Valley and Tavistock Area of the WorldHeritage Site. Launceston suffers surface water drainage problems and flood risk issues from theRiver Kensey. Launceston, Altarnun, Stoke Climsland, Luckett, Hicks Mill and Polyphant eachhave a building conservation area.
HOUSING: There were around 8,500 dwellings in 2010, with a 29% increase in dwelling numbersover the period 1991-2010 (average of 20% across Cornwall). As at 31st March 2010 there were120 dwellings under construction and 489 unimplemented planning permissions. About 2% ofdwellings were registered as empty properties - Cornwall average 1.7% and 3.8% of propertieswere registered as second homes – Cornwall average 10.7% (Council Tax, 2011). These figuresindicate that a slightly higher than average proportion of dwellings remain vacant, and that thereis minimal competition from other types of dwelling occupiers – most dwellings are used bypermanent residents. 38 affordable homes are required each year to meet need.
EMPLOYMENT: Launceston has a high proportion of manufacturing and transport, storage &communications employment, as well as higher than average education employment. Much of theemployment in the rural area is in agriculture and related industry.
TRAVEL: Launceston is immediately adjacent to the A30. The town's roads do not have adequatecapacity for the traffic travelling north and south. There are no significant alternative transport links,such as rail, in the area. Buses run to Exeter, Plymouth, Okehampton and Truro.
FACILITIES: Launceston town centre is performing reasonably well. The larger settlements in thearea have relatively comprehensive facilities, which serve wide rural catchment areas. Launcestonhas a secondary school and an indoor swimming pool.
Options Consultation Feedback
Feedback from the public exhibition held in Launceston on 15th February 2011 shows that 44%opted for medium growth across Cornwall (48,000 new homes) whilst 30% opted for high growth(57,000 new homes) and 26% opted for low growth (38,000 new homes).
The results regarding the approach to distribution showed that 56% preferred the dispersedapproach to distribution (growth split between main towns and villages), whilst 28% preferred theoption for development to be focused in Cornwall’s main towns and 16% preferred the economy-ledoption (development in key regeneration areas).
During the Options consultation, Launceston Town Council and Werrington Parish Council bothstated that they would prefer to see a mix of the Cornwall towns and the economy-led options inthis area, whilst North Petherwin Parish Council chose the economy-led model with low growth.
Community Planning Visions
Table .2
Summary of “vision”Document
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
“For the people of the historic capital of Cornwall and its surroundingarea
Launceston 2020(2006)
to enjoy an improving quality of life based on a thriving 21st centuryeconomy that respects the natural and built environments.”
No vision or key objectives identified.Lezant Parish Plan(2002)
North PetherwinParish Plan (2002)
Need for footpath map, transport and mobile facilities.Support for affordable housing.Improvements to the parish hall.Need for a multi-use resource centre.
South PetherwinParish Plan (2005)
An adequate supply of affordable housing available for local peoplethat is in keeping with the local area.Safer and less congested roads achieved through reviewing speedlimits, car parking, pedestrian crossings and public transport issues,whilst ensuring that young people have a safe place to congregateaway from roads.Parish to maintain and develop a range of activities and eventsthrough local support, good communications and development ofcommunity facilities.Young people to have a range of facilities to meet their needs,including a designated safe meeting area.Improved access to employment and continued support for localbusinesses.A safe and crime free environment throughout the parish.Residents to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle with adequate accessto health and sports facilities.Environment to be protected and enhanced through tidy-up efforts,measures to reduce dog fouling, energy efficiency and continueddevelopment of recycling facilities.
St Thomas TheApostle
Improving communication regarding community safety, maintaininglow level of crime.Facilities for young people.
Rural Parish Plan2007
Traffic calming and road safety issues.Promotion of healthy activities and looking at ways to increase accessto health facilities.Support for local businesses and investigation of employmentdevelopment.Promotion of community facilities and activities.Parish Newsletter and promotion of parish activities etc.Improvement and promotion of footpaths, promotion of environmentalinitiatives e.g. recycling etc.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Improvements to public transport and other modes of transport thatreduce car travel.Affordable housing development and influencing planning policy.
Stoke ClimslandParish Plan
Information point, police coverage and library service actions.Tackling the problems of access to health services, and improvinglocal services that are responsive to needs of patients particularlythe elderly and those without transport.Recycling, litter reduction, footpaths and guided walks,hedgerow/plant/tree management and prevention of light pollution.Improvements to the public transport system (commuter link toGunnislake railway station etc) to prevent reliance on car.Improved road safety (danger spots, speeding, parking, road cleaningetc).Publication of a footpaths leaflet/parish map; visitor and localinformation; more local government information; parish website etc.Activities for younger children in the parish (10-16years); range ofsporting activities and improved footpaths.Encouragement of small and agricultural businesses; provision ofchildcare / after school facilities; also educational and leisure courses.No further developments wanted and only consider the provision ofaffordable housing through natural occurrence on housing marketor a low-cost scheme if necessary.Stoke Climsland Parish are considering reviewing their plan.
Summary of Issues and ActionsSt Stephen's ByLaunceston RuralParish Plan (2010)
Affordable housing thought to be needed, the design of which shouldbe in keeping with the local area. Preference for small development;less than 10 properties; Starter/affordable homes; For local people:ie. Must have lived or worked in the parish.
Ensure number of new properties is limited, in keeping with the areaand takes into account the current infrastructure (sewerage, roadaccess, facilities and energy efficient measures).
Improved amenities to cater for the needs of the Parish: InadequateParish Hall; Recreational Facilities and IT facilities in the hall.
Investigating potential for improving communications technology.
Key issues/actions:Trewen Parish Plan(2011) Ensure clear, safe and accessible footpaths.
Improve walking opportunities within and around the parishCar sharing schemes for work and amenity provision.Reduce traffic speeds in the village of Pipers Pool
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Promote the Launceston Community Transport Partnership ‘LittleRed Bus’Support economic activity through a ‘Trewen Service Directory’ andimproved Broadband services.Improve community buildings and encourage shared use of facilitiesand bringing the community together.Encourage and facilitate information sharing within parish.Local need for housing for the future.Create an allotments register and address any need.Encourage energy saving.Research sustainable energy options as individual households andcommunity.Start a Tidy Parish Scheme, a Parish wildlife group and investigatedog problems.
Issues Tables
Introduction
The following tables provide the link between the ‘Topic Based Issues Papers’ and the ‘PlaceBased Issues Papers’. Each table explores the evidence relating to this Community Network Areaagainst the main themes from a policy and community viewpoint, and concludes by identifyingspecific issues.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Hou
sing
Table.3
Hou
sing
:Thistablewillexploretheevidence
relatingtohousing–futuregrow
th,balance
inthehousingstock,tenuremix,quality,
deprivation,second
homes,in-migration,affordabilityandhousingneed.E
videncethathighlightsissues
relevanttotheremitof
theLocalPlan(PoliciesforP
laces)specifictothisCNAwillbe
identifiedunder‘Mattersforthe
LocalPlantoAddress’.For
Cornw
all-w
ideissues
please
refertotheTopicPapers.
Matters
forthe
LocalP
lanto
Add
ress
Key
Pointsfro
mCom
mun
ityPlan
sEv
iden
ce&Po
licyCon
text
Housing
affordabilityacross
thearea
Provide
affordable
housingforlocalpeople
ThedraftR
egionalSpatialStrategy
diddirect13,400
new
dwellings
totheformerNorthCornw
allarea,with
aproportionofthisgrow
thexpected
tobe
accommodated
Affordablehousingneed,
especiallyinLaunceston
Any
futuremajorsocial
housingdevelopm
entto
atLaunceston.H
oweverwith
theabolition
oftheRSSby
thecurrentgovernm
ent,housingtargetswillneed
tobe
determined
morelocally.
includeaproportionof
shared
ownershipand
rent
Num
berofnew
homes
requiredtoenhance
sustainabilityofthesm
aller
settlem
ents
Thenumberofhouseholdson
thehousingwaitinglist
(June’09)inthearea
is576,with
thehighestnum
berin
Launceston
(443),butw
ithsizeablenumbersinthe
villages(forexample23
inAltarnun;20inTregadillet).
Monitorthe
need
forlow
costhousing
Options
forgrowthdirections
inLaunceston.P
hysical
constraintstogrow
thin
Launceston
Avoidout-oftow
nhousingwithoutfacilities
House
prices
inthearea
averaged
atjustabove£200,000
(’08).
Theaffordabilityratio
(num
berbywhich
tomultiplythe
area’saveragewagetogettothearea’saveragehouse
Infrastructureshouldsupport
newandexistinghousing.
price)isapprox
8intheruralpartofthe
area,the
ratio
is6inLaunceston
(Cornish
averageis6.6).
Themixtureofhousesizesissimilartothatacross
the
county,yetinLaunceston
thereisahigherproportionof
smallerhousing
units.
Launceston Place Based Topic Paper - March 201310
Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Theproportionofrented
accommodation(bothprivate
andsocial)inLaunceston
ishigherthan
theCornish
average.
Gypsies
andTravellers:A
need
for2
separatetransit
sitesof3-5pitcheseach
and5residentialpitcheswas
identifiedintheformerNorthCornw
allareatomeetthe
needsuntil2011
(1) .Between2011-2026,furtherpitches
willbe
willrequiredinthearea.
App
roachto
beTaken:
PolicyPP
141c
-The
provisionofaround
1,100dw
ellings
intheperiodup
to2030.Tobe
identifiedintheCornw
allTow
nsAllocations
DPD.
PolicyPP14
2a-T
heprovisionofaround
400dw
ellings
intheperiodup
to2030
(rem
ainderoftheCNA)
1DraftRegionalSpatialStrategy,S
ecretaryofStateProposedChanges
(2008)
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Environm
ent
Table.9
Environm
ent:Thistablewillexploretheevidence
relatingtotheenvironm
ent–
biodiversity,geodiversity,landscape
&seascape,
historicenvironm
ent,flooding,soil,airand
water.E
videncethathighlightsissues
relevanttotheremitoftheLocalPlan(Policies
forP
laces)specifictothisCNAwillbe
identifiedunder‘Mattersforthe
LocalPlantoAddress’.ForC
ornw
all-w
ideissues
please
refertotheTopicPapers.
Matters
forthe
LocalP
lanto
Add
ress
Key
Pointsfrom
Com
mun
ityPlan
sEv
iden
ce&Po
licyCon
text
Reductionofsurface
water,
especiallyintheLaunceston
CriticalDrainageAreas.
Concernregardinglightpollution
MostofB
odminMoorispartofthe
Cornw
allAONB.
Investigateopportunitiesforcom
munity
compostingschemeinLezant,S
toke
Clim
sland.
MuchofBodminMoorisdesignated
asSSSI.
Linkingprotectionand
enhancem
entofsem
inatural
Improvehedges,lookintotreeplanting
schemes.
Landscapecharacter:Thearea
contains
(partsof)a
numberoflandscape
areaswith
catchm
entw
ide
reductionofsurface
water
characterareas
asdescribed
inAppendixB(11).
Promotesustainabledrainage
system
s.runoff,toincludelinking
the
managem
entofthe
Tamar
Prom
oteenergy
efficiencyofcommunities.
Launceston
isan
historicsettlem
ent.
Thereisalargenumberoflisted
Protectionofruralareas,villagegreens.
Valleywithinthedifferent
Com
munity
NetworkAreas.
Explorerenewableenergy
generation
(RiverKensey)andenergy
saving.
buildings
inthearea
andthescheduled
monum
entofthe
Norman
Castle
islocatedintheheartofthe
town.
Protectandenhancethe
area'soutstandingnaturaland
historicenvironm
entinthe
contextofgrowth.
Encourage
localfoodproduction.
Launceston,Altarnun,Stoke
Clim
sland,
Luckett,Hicks
MillandPolyphanteach
have
aConservationArea.
Link
themanagem
entof
BodminMoorw
ithinthe
Surface
waterdrainage
problems(3
identifiedCriticalDrainageAreas)in
differentCom
munity
Network
Areas.
Launceston.R
iverfloodingissues
in
11Cornw
allLandscape
CharacterAssessm
ent(2007)
21Launceston Place Based Topic Paper - March 2013
Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Launceston’sNew
portarea
alongthe
RiverKensey(12) .
Restorationandrecreationofupland
heathon
Bodm
inMoorand
ofthearea’s
woodlands
inaccordance
with
Nature
Map
(13).
App
roachto
beTaken:
ThisCom
munity
NetworkAreacoversalargepartofBodminMoor,which
formsan
importantnaturalassettothecounty.The
protectionandmanagem
entofB
odminMoorshouldbe
considered
inthelightofnewdevelopm
ent.Surface
waterdrainage
iscriticalatLauncestonas
isfluvialfloodingfromtheRiverKe
nsey.The
area
hasan
outstandingnatural,builtandhistoricenvironm
ent.
ToretainandenhancetheHeritage
assetswith
aparticularfocus
onenhancingthetourismofferofthe
CNAandofLaunceston.
12Cornw
allStrategicFloodRiskAssessm
ent(Cornw
allC
ouncil,2009)
13Biodiversity
SouthWest,SouthWestR
egionalN
atureMap
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area
Appendix A: Landscape Character information from the 2007 CornwallLandscape Character Assessment
COMMUNITY NETWORK AREA 10 - LAUNCESTON
Evidence and Policy Context
Landscape Character Areas (LCA):
LCA 26 East Cornwall and TamarMoorland FringeLCA 29 Middle Tamar ValleyLCA 30 Kit HillLCA 31 Upper Tamar and OtteryValleysLCA 32 Bodmin MoorLCA 37 Western Culm Plateau
www.cornwall.gov.uk/cornwall_landscape (underscore between cornwall and landscape)
Issues for Consideration
Environment
Conserve the area’s wooded landscape character.Conserve valuable riparian and valley floor habitats.Encourage restoration and recreation of orchards along with traditional fruit, flower growing.Conserve, protect and restore riverside quays and encourage use of river transport.Enhance Bodmin Moor’s character by removing roadside wire fencing and or installing cattlegrids.Support the retention of distinctive free standing trees, particularly in the floodplain.Conserve mire BAP and lowland woodland pasture habitatsLink the management and strategic planning of Network Area 10 with other adjacent networkareas:-
Bodmin Moor - Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Network Areas 1 3 5 10 11.TamarValley - Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - Network Areas 3,10,14.
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Cornwall Local Plan Place-based Topic Paper: Launceston CommunityNetwork Area