Planning policy guidance exists to provide additional and further detail on policies within the Cornwall Local Plan. The types of guidance available are generally referred to as Supplementary Planning Documents, Development Briefs or general planning guidance. 

This page sets out the documents that Cornwall Council will use as material considerations in the determination of planning applications. They consist of:

• Supplementary Planning Documents
• Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans
• Development Briefs
• Other Planning Guidance

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)

Supplementary Planning Documents are documents that are produced to provide more detailed advice and guidance to supplement policies and proposals contained in the Local Plan. National planning policy makes provision for Local Planning Authorities to supplement the policies contained in the Local Plan with SPDs which are to provide detailed guidance on specific topics or issues. Older versions were known as Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).

• Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site SPD: (Cornish Mining World Heritage Site) is a designated heritage asset of the highest significance internationally. This SPD has been written primarily to help planning officers, and elected members on planning committees, when making decisions on development that could affect the Outstanding Universal Value, or international significance, of the World Heritage Site. The SPD also provides an insight for developers and others wishing to submit planning applications within the World Heritage Site. The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Supplementary Planning Document was adopted on the 31st May 2017.

The following SPD are proposed for revision to SPD or as new guidance:

• Cornwall Built and Natural Environment Quality Guide SPD
• European Sites Mitigation SPD
• Historic Environment SPD
• Housing SPD
• Renewable Energy SPD
• St Austell China Clay Restoration and Tipping Strategy SPD

Planning Guidance

Other planning guidance is available, including:

• Changing Places Toilets
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Infill/Rounding Off
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Good Design in Cornwall
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Holiday Occupancy Conditions
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Planning for Air Quality

• Cornwall Planning for Biodiversity Guide: Adopted as a Council document in October 2018, the Biodiversity Guide sets out a new approach by Cornwall Council for achieving a gain for nature within development sites. It does this by encouraging more biodiverse green and blue space within development sites, such as parks, ponds and corridors of open green space along rivers and hedges. It also gives prescriptive measures for the provision of bat and bird boxes, and bee bricks to make space for nature and the expected quality of ecological reporting for planning applications.

• Drainage Guidance:New development should be sustainable. In flood risk terms, this means that development should be directed to areas at the lowest risk of flooding and should not make existing flood risk worse. Development should reduce existing overall flood risk where possible. The Cornwall Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) provides a tool to assess the flood risk in Cornwall. The SFRA provides essential information for planners and developers to manage development, to limit flood risk to people and property wherever possible and manage the risk elsewhere. 
• Renewable Energy Planning Advice: Adopted as a council document in March 2016, the Planning Advice provides guidance on a range of renewable energy technologies. It explains what community ownership means and how it might be considered as part of a planning application. It also contains detailed guidance on specific considerations, such as landscape and cumulative impact (in particular for wind turbines and solar farms). As such, the Planning Advice provides a proactive tool guide new development, inform planning decisions and support the development of Neighbourhood Plans across Cornwall.
• St Austell, St Blazey and China Clay Regeneration Area Plan

Development Briefs

Development Briefs provide information that can be used as material considerations in the determination of relevant planning applications. Development Briefs approved and under consideration by Cornwall Council are:

• Land North of the A390 Truro-Threemilestone (please note this is a large document and may take a while to download)

• St Clare Development Brief: the proposed development brief comprises of the following documents: Introduction and Site Description, Development proposals and Affordable Housing, Employment and York House, Trees and Movement and Parking and Design.

Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans