Vital cliff defence work in Cornwall planning application

No dates have been set for when the planning applications below will be determined. They can be viewed by going to the planning portal on Cornwall Council’s website.

Turn former town centre bank into 11 apartments

Bourn Homes Ltd has submitted a proposed change of use to turn the former Barclays bank in Church Street, St Austell, into 11 apartments. No external alterations are proposed and it is not considered that the change of use would have an impact on the conservation area or Grade I listed church on the opposite side of the road. The flats would have bin stores and bike storage.

Where the Barclays bank is situated in St Austell (Pic: Google Earth)

For more information see PA24/01678 on the council’s planning portal.

New cliff defence work at Downderry

An application has been received to protect a cliff with a sea wall defence including new galvanised staircase at West Camps Bay, Downderry. The work would take place beneath the rear gardens of two properties, Tamarisk and Brightwaters.

The cliff face is partially protected by several large granite blocks that sit directly on the beach at the base of the cliff. Because the granite blocks have not been laid on a solid foundation, or tied together, they are now starting to separate, increasing the ability for erosion to take place. The top of the cliff has also started to overhang and collapse in places.

How the new cliff defence wall could look (Pic: Applicant\'s planning statement)

The proposal seeks to reinforce and stabilise the existing natural cliff and prevent further erosion taking place through wave and wind action during winter storms. The plan is to construct a cliff protection wall in ‘precast legato concrete blocks’, which would provide the necessary protection from erosion.

It is in line with and similar to many other approved cliff protection applications along the Downderry-Seaton coastline all of which have been effective in the reduction of erosion. A bespoke galvanised staircase would provide access to the beach from the gardens and would replace existing concrete steps built in the late 1970s.

How the new cliff defence wall could look (Pic: Applicant\'s planning statement)

For more information see PA24/01326 on the council’s planning portal.

Plans for reservoir lake near Callington

Plans have been received to create a reservoir lake of 30,000 cubic metres adjacent to an existing farmyard at Tregonnett Farm, Golberdon, near Callington. The site lies near a brook running through the applicant’s holding which will feed the lake and which then flows into the river Lynher approximately 350m downstream to the south west.

The proposed lake would provide a “pleasant backdrop below the existing farmstead and it will have the dual purpose of providing an emergency clean water reservoir for the farm as well as an amenity asset which will be stocked for fishing and planted to provide an improved wetland habitat particularly at the shallow north east end,” according to a planning report.

For more information see PA24/01132 on the council’s planning portal.