Planning Policy Guidance

Cornwall Council will use the following documents as material considerations:

Concept Plans

Concept plans are important. They provide more detail on the development of larger sites.  The aim of concept plans is to: 

• seek to create comprehensive high quality and distinctive new neighbourhoods. These will have appropriate services and facilities for local residents. 
• aim to raise the quality of development coming forward. We do this by setting out more detail and information relating to larger sites. The Cornwall Site Allocations DPD assigns these sites for development.

The plans will set out the locations for different land uses. These uses include:

• residential
• employment space
• open spaces
• other community infrastructure

They also set out important pedestrian, cycle and vehicle routes. These enable ease of movement and more sustainable travel. 

• Hayle Growth Area Concept Plan
• Launceston Southern Growth Area Concept Plan

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD)

SPD are documents that provide more detailed advice and guidance. They:

• supplement policies and proposals contained in the Local Plan, and
• relate to specific topics or issues

National planning policy allows Local Planning Authorities to do this.

Older versions were known as Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).

Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site SPD

The Cornish Mining World Heritage Site is a designated heritage asset. Development in these areas could affect the site's:

• Outstanding Universal Value or
• international significance

This SPD has will help with planning decisions that could affect the World Heritage Site:

• Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site SPD

Housing SPD

• Housing SPD

St Austell China Clay Restoration and Tipping Strategy SPD

• St Austell China Clay Restoration and Tipping Strategy SPD

European Sites SPD

• European Sites Mitigation SPD

Planning Guidance

Other planning guidance is available, including:

• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Residential Uses in Town Centres
• Interim Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on First Homes
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Extra Care and Enhanced Sheltered Accommodation
• Guidance on Changing Places Toilets
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Preparing Concept Plans and Masterplans
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Strategic Employment Sites
• 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. (NB. Minor changes made to Footnote 1 in December 2019.)
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Planning for Air Quality
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Coastal Change
• Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Town Renewal and Priorities Assessment. This will help inform how Cornwall Council will proactively manage the potential change of uses within our towns.
• Draft Chief Planning Officer's Advice Note on Biodiversity Net-gain
• Chief Planning Officer's Note on the provision of temporary residential accommodation using converted holiday accommodation
• Chief Planning Officer's Note on Specialist Accommodation for emergency homeless or move on housing.
• Advice Note on CoHousing
• Advice Note on Vacant Building Credit
• Guidance on the Affordable Housing Cascade Process
• Cornwall Planning for Biodiversity Guide. The Biodiversity Guide sets out a new approach for achieving a biodiversity net-gain. It does this by encouraging more green and blue space within development sites. These include 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.
• Renewable Energy Planning Advice. Adopted as a council document in March 2016. This 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. These include landscape and cumulative impact. (In particular for wind turbines and solar farms). As such, the Planning Advice provides a proactive guide for new development. It informs planning decisions and supports the development of Neighbourhood Plans across Cornwall.
• Camborne Pool Illogan and Redruth Green Infrastructure Strategy. Endorsed as a Council document in June 2021. The Strategy aims to support and invest in infrastructure in the CPIR area. It promotes reduced car use and increased activity levels among residents. It also helps promote a sense of community and connects people more with nature. A separate report reflects the feedback received during a 6-week public consultation.
• Sustainable Drainage Policy V1.0 this policy is currently being updated 

Development Briefs

Development Briefs provide information for use as material considerations. This is in the determination of relevant planning applications. Development Briefs. Those 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
  • Parking and Design
• Camborne and Redruth Framework and Implementation Plans. Plans include:
  
  • Dudnace Lane and South Crofty Framework
  • The Tuckingmill Framework
  • Trevenson Road Implementation Plan
  • Redruth Action Plan Project