RECOMMENDATION: Refusal

Summary:

This is a report of a major planning application for retail led development proposed to be located in Hayle, west Cornwall. The planning application has been submitted in ‘outline’ form with all matters reserved except access. The proposal is for 15,600 square metres of floorspace and represents a significant addition to retail space at Marsh Lane where the West Cornwall Retail Park is located. The proposal would require the relocation of the Hayle Rugby Football Club to a site to the north east which already benefits from planning permission for a new sports facility.

The scheme as proposed would bring a number of significant benefits. The principal benefits would include an investment of £30 million into the local economy. The applicants have indicated that over 1000 jobs would be created and, were permission to be granted, the delivery of a relocated Rugby Club which is used by a number of local community and sports groups. The applicants have also proposed a significant financial contribution to town centre projects and other infrastructure works.

Improvements to the Strategic Route Network at Loggans Moor roundabout on the A30 will be required however at this time the Highways Agency has not lifted its ‘Holding Direction’ preventing planning permission from being granted. From a local highways perspective the Council remains uncertain that the proposed changes to the local roads at Marsh Lane and Carwin Rise will address the traffic generated by the development. The planning obligations proposed by the applicant relating to highways improvements are not sufficiently specific to give confidence that the obligation would be able to address the impacts arising from the development.

The Council’s independent retail consultants (GVA) have assessed the retail aspect and have raised concerns in respect of an inadequate application of the ‘sequential test’ and have identified adverse retail impacts on all retail centres within the identified catchment area.

Matters of ecology, heritage, residential amenity and flood risk do not present any significant issues and any impacts of the development in these matters could be dealt with by planning condition. In particular the site for the retail scheme is located outside any area of flood risk but the access along Marsh Lane is at risk of flooding.

Design and layout are held as reserved matters but the indicative plans demonstrate a development of simple, modern form and utilising modular cladding panels and rendered blockwork for the external elevations. While these are considered to be utilitarian in their design with a lack of design quality, it is not considered to be a sufficient reason for refusing planning permission per se. The layout is standard for this type of development.

This report follows a report for a competing scheme on land adjacent to the existing Retail Park. As such it is necessary for the implications of one scheme to be informed by the other, and vice versa. Both applications have been submitted for some time and require a determination. It is clear however that there is an appreciable concern regarding a lack of satisfactory information to address the planning concerns for this planning application. In particular there is a lack of a satisfactory highway assessment, a lack of assurances that impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated, and an adequate retail analysis, exacerbated by the lack of certainty regarding future uses and users of the scheme, although the potential cumulative retail impact of both schemes is understood. Weight has been given to the social benefits of this scheme, in particular a relocated rugby club as well as the environmental advantages set out in this report.

However as a consequence of the position with this application and the unmitigated concerns that have been raised it is recommended that planning permission be refused for the reasons set out below. 

Via https://democracy.cornwall.gov.uk/documents/s74892/PA14-02920-%20Committ...