Roles and Responsibilities
Last updated: 12/09/2012
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Picture by graduate Chris Liddicoat, Cornwall
College.
Successful delivery of the Eco-communities will only be achieved
through partnership working. Public investment brings the
opportunity to deliver wider infrastructure that can
benefit existing communities as well as support the
delivery of Eco-communities. Private investment will be
required to build the housing and employment space that will
combine with new infrastructure and community facilities to create
vibrant places to live and work.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed by key
partners involved in the Eco-communities project to ensure that
everyone knows what their role is and how partners will work
together.
Eco-communities Board
The Eco-communities Board has been established to support the
delivery of Eco-communities, ensure that projects achieve
excellence to maximise the benefits of development for
Cornwall.
Membership consists of Eco-Bos (which is the joint
venture company set up by Imerys and Orascom to deliver
Eco-communities), Cornwall Council, and the Homes and Communities
Agency (HCA).
Lord Taylor has been appointed to act as the independent chair
of the Board.
Cornwall Council
The Council has two distinct roles in respect of the
Eco-communities. As with any other development in Cornwall, we have
a statutory role to assess and decide upon planning applications.
Our other role is to promote delivery of projects
through the Eco-communities Programme of Development to secure
wider benefits for local people and the surrounding area.
The Planning and Regeneration Service will lead on the delivery
of these projects; the Planning Delivery Team will develop and
progress the projects and work with existing communities; the
Planning Service will act in its statutory planning role with
regard to planning applications for Eco-communities sites.
Eco-communities Champion
The Eco-communities Champion is a Clay Country Councillor who is
a promoter and advocate for the project - this role is carried out
by Cllr John Wood. The Champion’s role is to keep the Planning and
Regeneration Service Portfolio Holder up to date on issues and
progress, and to promote and encourage opportunities for the
Council’s elected members to work together in relation to
Eco-community developments.
Divisional Member Briefing Group
The Divisional (Ward) Members Briefing Group meets quarterly.
The purpose of the group is to provide an opportunity to update the
Clay area Divisional Members on projects and overall Eco-community
developments, and to gain their views given their local knowledge
and role as community leaders and advocates.
The group also acts as a link between the council’s Planning
Delivery Team, Parish Councils and the clay communities, helping to
improve understanding of community priorities in relation to
Eco-communities.
Planning Delivery Team
The Planning Delivery Team is made up of experienced planning,
funding and regeneration officers. Their role is to ensure links
are made and maintained between various departments within the
council, including planning, economic development, regeneration and
localism, to ensure efficient delivery of projects that are of
particular importance to Cornwall’s future.
The Team applied to the Department for Communities and
Local Government (DCLG) to help develop and fund specific
elements of the St Austell Clay Country Eco-communities. This
funding was secured and has been used to form a
‘Programme of Development’, which refers to the projects that Cornwall Council will be
undertaking as part of the wider project.
Eco-Bos
Eco-Bos is a joint venture company that will be preparing
planning applications for the Eco-communities and, if permission is
granted, will build the new developments. The company represents
the interests of Imerys, the landowner of sites earmarked for
development, and Orascom who boast the expertise of developers
and consultants with experience of creating sustainable communities
to very high environmental and ecological standards.
Further information
For further information about Cornwall Council’s role in the St
Austell Clay Country Eco-communities, please contact the Planning
Delivery Team on telephone 0300 1234 151 or email
ecotown@cornwall.gov.uk