St Austell

6. Message recieved from SOUL  1st April 2010

We have been notified that the Golphin Farm appeal has been lost. The developer now has consent to build 107 homes. Thanks to all who fought this proposal. 
The Central 2 planning meeting yesterday (31st March) was more encouraging. Thanks again to all who turned out for what was a very short meeting. 
In his initial announcements the chairman told us of a change in procedure that would give Councillors a period between committee meetings in which to clarify their reasons for refusing an application. This should stop repeats of Golphin Farm where the council only put forward the one argument against approval, i.e. the percentage of affordable homes. 
When it came to the application for 12 dwellings on a greenfield site at Scredda, councillors asked for a site visit, and so the application will be dealt with at the next Central 2 area planning meeting. 
This will be a formal site visit, so Parish Councillors and public may attend. The date will be 15th April 2010, time to be announced. 
Perhaps we should request that Councillors travel to the site by public transport!! 
The next Central 2 Committee Meeting is on 21st April at 17:00 in Truro, and we will once again be looking for your support. 

5. Pensioner declares enough is enough as her home is flooded again. (June 2009)

A St AUSTELL pensioner troubled by the repeated flooding of her property is worried the stress caused will send her to an early grave if it is not fixed soon
A pensioner who has lived in Polkyth Road for 45 years, said she never had any problems with flooding before the development of the Urban Village in 2005.
She said flooding had become a regular occurrence for her and her neighbours since then. But after last Monday’s downpour flooded her garden and the road in front of her property she declared enough was enough. “I want something sorted now, I’m tired of broken promises and nothing getting fixed – if it carries on much longer it will send me to an early grave,” she said. “There was never a problem on this road before, yet the moment the village was built the problems with flooding started. I’ve been made a series of promises that have all not been kept”. she added “In April 2008 I had a letter from Steve Bayley, Cornwall County Council’s road expert, who said that the drains weren’t blocked in Polkyth Road. The problem was either they couldn’t deal with the capacity of the village being constructed.”

In March of this year, a meeting was held between residents affected by the flooding, and agencies involved in the area – some of which included Restormel Borough Council, Cornwall County Council and Midas Homes, which built the Urban Village. It was understood that a response to the problems would be prepared by April – but it is still yet to be issued, causing anger among residents.
Monday’s flood caused vehicles to become stuck in Polkyth Road, flooded the roundabout at the entrance to the Urban Village and was on the brink of entering Boot’s pharmacy in the same road.
A Cornwall Council spokesman said: ” The road at Polkyth was flooded for a time as the capacity of the drainage system was insufficient to cope with the volume of water.
“As we now seem to be experiencing a greater number of short duration downpours, the question of the capacity of drainage networks is something which needs addressing”
Cornwall Council’s highways service and the developer, Midas Homes, are working towards a solution in respect of the Polkyth area.”
A spokesman from Midas Homes said: “We are hopeful that the meeting we are chairing on Friday with South West Water and Cornwall Council’s highways department will be successful and the drainage works they need to carry out will be accepted and taken forward.”

BY TA - Brilliant bit of planning ! - Although this report is 9 months old it bears a resemblance to the Environmental Agencies report that flooding on the scale of Boscastle some years ago could be a possibility at Portreath, particularly so if huge builging plans at CPRI goes ahead. The obvious answer of ‘don’t build at CPRI then’ has apparently been discounted in favour of a warning siren in Portreath ! Not to worry the planners got their way and the developer was happy - You coundn’t dream it up !

To see the story on Portreath follow the link  HERE

4.  Postponed
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The PUBLIC meeting being held to gauge opinion on the Wainhomes plans for 1,500 new homes in St Austell has been put back to September 24.
It will now be held at 7pm at Trevarthian Church Hall, hosted by newly-formed action group Save Our Unspoilt Land (SOUL).
Wainhomes wants to build 1,500 homes, a care village, primary school and retail and employment space on a 126-acre site to the west of Carclaze.

 You can comment on the story on the link below:

 

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/latestnews/Postponed/article-1283454-detail/article.html
 

3. Extract from local newspaper:

Action group set up to challenge ‘monstrous’ plans

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

THE fight has begun against “monstrous” plans for 1,500 new homes in St Austell, with protestors demanding – who owns our town?

An action group called Save Our Unspoilt Land (SOUL) has been started this week, fuelled by growing outrage at the proposal by housing giant Wainhomes.

Earlier this month the developer unveiled multi-million pound plans for a 126-acre site to the west of Carclaze – land dubbed the most beautiful left in St Austell.

They want to build 1,500 homes, a care village, primary school and retail and employment space.

A spokesman for SOUL told the St Austell Guardian: “We are a group of like-minded people who feel very strongly about this. We’d like to know who actually owns St Austell – the planners, the council, the developers?

“It should be the people of St Austell. Whose town is this?”

The group already has around 30 members and wants to gather views and learn the best way to oppose the plans.

“We were particularly unhappy with Wainhomes exhibition, which was used to gather comments which we fear could be claimed to be a consultation,” said the spokesman.

“Visitors who asked why the development was needed when an eco-town was proposed were told that the eco-town would never get the go-ahead.

“We felt that public consultation is necessary, and, to that end we have set up a website www.staustellsouls.com to gather comments about the Wainhomes proposal.”

The St Austell Guardian asked Wainhomes for figures from feedback gathered at a public exhibition, but was refused.

Wainhomes is currently preparing outline plans for the development, which it hopes to submit to Cornwall Council later this year.

 http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/latestnews/Action-group-set-challenge-monstrous-plans/article-1202876-detail/article.html

 

Extracted from the CoSERG website, a snipet of information (More info via the link):

• Green Light For St Austell Eco-Town, - Matthew Taylor MP has strongly backed the Government decision to give the green light in principle to St Austell’s eco-town proposal.(16 July 2009)

By TA: Be careful who you vote for in the next general election !

2. It’s been reported to us that the St. Austell building proposal has been made by Imerys (the china clay company), which is owned by Inmetal (Franco-Belge mining group). It is one of 15 contenders for the Government’s eco-towns project, and this is the only one located in the South West.
Of this shortlist 10 will be selected for development.

There is a total of approx. 5,000 houses planned in 6 separate sites:

Bugle 500 dwellings (3 miles from St. Austell)
Nanpean 210 dwellings (8 miles)
Penwithick industrial estate (2 miles)
Baal Pit 1,000 dwellings (1/2 mile)
Blackpool Pit 2,000 - 2,500 dwellings (2 miles)
Par Docks 250-500 dwellings + industrial + marina (5 miles)

It is also reported to us that St. Austell already suffers from severe commuter traffic problems because of the recent expansion of surrounding villages, many of which are already in the list.
The route from Blackpool (near Trewoon) is particularly bad, and Bugle is already a bottleneck.

There is unlikely to any simple solution to these infrastructure problems.

Local MP Mathew Taylor is reported to support the proposal.

We understand that UKIP and Mebyon Kernow oppose the plans and we would like to hear from any local group who have formed, or intend to form, to also oppose it.

Consultation is at: ecotowns@communities.gsi.gov.uk

The proposals can be seen at www.claycountryvision.imerys.co.uk
1. Yet More Building

Tregorrick: 60 luxury holiday homes built in estate grounds,
Cornish Guardian, 4 February 2009
 
Sixty luxury woodland holiday homes at Tregorrick, near St Austell, were launched last week. The development is in the grounds of the new £30 million The Cornwall Hotel, Spa and Estate. The detached lodges are fully-serviced with two or three bedrooms and will be available on a “stay and let” basis for people who want a combined lifestyle-investment purchase. From Valentine’s Day, the freehold to the homes will be available to buy and people will be able to look around the show homes and view a model of the completed development. Once finished it will comprise a boutique hotel, restaurants, bar, state-of-the-art spa with infinity pool, walled garden and 60 luxury woodland homes.


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