The West Sub-Area Planning Committee of Cornwall Council was scheduled to consider two planning applications: one for the construction of 12 residential units in St Ives and another for a local needs self-build dwelling in Coverack. The committee was also due to review a list of planning appeal decisions.

Applications for Consideration

PA25/07750: Land South of Chy An Porth, The Terrace, St Ives

This application concerned the construction of 12 self-contained residential units, with associated parking and works, at Land South of Chy An Porth, The Terrace, St Ives. The proposal sought to vary a condition of a previous planning decision from 2009, as amended by a non-material amendment in 2025. The report pack indicated that the application was called to committee by Electoral Division Member Luke Rogers CC due to public interest and potential risk to a significant cultural and literary heritage site.

The report detailed that the application was a Section 73 application to vary the plans condition attached to an extant planning permission for 12 residential units. The revised proposal would provide 10 two-bedroom units and 2 three-bedroom units, a slight change from the original approval of 4 one-bed, 6 two-bed, and 2 three-bed units. The revised scheme was noted to stand on the same footprint as the extant approved development, with minor alterations to the roof design, fenestration, balconies, and access steps.

A key consideration was the impact on the setting and outlook from Talland House, the childhood holiday home of author Virginia Woolf. While objections were raised regarding potential harm to literary heritage and views, the report suggested that the massing, scale, and height of the proposed development would be largely unchanged from the extant approved scheme, and therefore, any harm would be less than substantial. The report also addressed highway safety, noting no objections from the Council's Highways Officer, and an increase in on-site parking provision compared to the extant approval.

The report recommended delegated approval, subject to the application not being called in by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The report also discussed the legal basis for using a Section 73 application for material amendments, referencing case law such as Test Valley Borough Council v Fiske.

PA25/06700: Land West of Chy Gweal, Arrowan Common, Coverack, Helston

This application was for a single-storey, two-bedroom local needs self-build dwelling, with associated access, parking, and temporary siting of a caravan during construction, at Land West of Chy Gweal, Arrowan Common, Coverack, Helston, TR12 6SH. The proposal was presented under Policy 9 (Rural Exception Site) of the Cornwall Local Plan.

The report indicated that the site is located outside of a defined settlement and within open countryside. The proposal was put forward as a rural exception site, but the report noted that the dwelling would be positioned at a noticeable distance from the established cluster of buildings at Ponsongath, meaning it did not satisfy the locational requirements of Policy 9, which expects rural exception sites to be immediately adjacent to the built-up area. This siting was considered to cause harm to the character and appearance of the open countryside, which is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly AONB).

While the provision of a single affordable home was acknowledged as a positive aspect, the report concluded that this benefit was not sufficient to outweigh the identified harm. The report also mentioned that the applicants had not yet completed the Council's Affordability Questionnaire, meaning their eligibility for affordable housing had not been formally assessed.

The recommendation was for refusal, citing conflict with development plan policies regarding housing delivery in the countryside and the harm to the character and appearance of the Cornwall National Landscape. The report also detailed considerations regarding highway safety, neighbour amenity, and ecological impacts, including a financial contribution towards the Fal and Helford SAC.

Items for Note

List of Planning Appeal Decisions Received, of Appeals Lodged and Dates of Public Inquiries

The committee was scheduled to note a list of planning appeal decisions that had been received, appeals that had been lodged, and the dates of any public inquiries. This item provided an update on recent appeal outcomes relevant to the council's planning decisions.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Dowr Meeting Room at Kresen Kernow, Redruth.