What did we do to start?
The initial stages of the plan involved the team gathering data about the parish and understanding the community’s priority views. This included information regarding the parish’s characteristics, its population, and the environment. We carried out several fact-finding workstreams to collect this information.
- Parish exploration—viewing the whole parish from different angles.
- Landscape character assessment
- Historical reports—World Heritage site
- Office of national statistics data
- Environmental data on—land types, flood risks, tree cover, flora and
fauna in Ponsanooth. - Defining the extent of the settlements already within the Parish.
Community engagement.
As the plan emerged, there have been several opportunities to ‘have your say’. There was an initial survey of all households in the parish. This was followed up by open sessions at Ponsanooth Fair Days, with further updates and opportunities to comment via the old and new Ponsanooth Post. We have had public sessions on the regular meeting agenda as the plan has taken shape.
In the initial survey, we asked you what was important to you in the parish. The results of the study gave us some clear priority messages:-
- ‘Transport and Traffic’
- ‘Where development should take place’
- ‘Types of Development’
- ‘Wildlife and Environment’
- ‘Public Footpaths/open spaces’
In addition, the community engagement highlighted a pressing need for affordable housing in the Parish. This highlighted need prompted a ‘Housing needs survey’ which confirmed that there was a hidden need for
available housing in addition to the housing needs register held by Cornwall Council. This is made worse by the historical shortfall in developing affordable housing in the parish.
What were the conclusions?
- Any development needs to protect the environment, both nature and heritage, maintaining the character and style of the parish.
- In the life of the plan, the parish needs at least 75 more homes, including affordable housing (rental and purchase) for the people who live here. Ponsanooth Parish currently has a lack of affordable homes.
- Any development should be sustainable and centred on the village of Ponsanooth, close to services and along the main road.
- Elsewhere in the parish only limited development i.e. infill and rounding off, would be supported.
- Improvements in connectivity, footpaths, open spaces and transport links are needed.
How were the draft plan and policies developed?
In addition to the work that the team completed, we engaged some specialist
consultant support. This enabled the development of solutions for the priorities
of the parish:-
- Historical report and important building gazetteer.
- Landscape character assessment—describing and categorising the
countryside, important features, and views of the parish. - Design codes—how new buildings should look.
- Settlement boundary work — identifying current boundaries for the settlements in the Parish.
- Open space survey—looking at how Ponsanooth parish compares to
other similar parishes - Local Green Space assessment—identifying valued areas in the Parish.
- Housing needs survey—identifying the potential number of affordable
houses required. - Biodiversity reports — from the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS)
- Site assessment—searching for suitable sites for development
- Masterplanning—developing possible site layouts.
- Business survey — understanding the needs of local businesses
Drafting the Neighbourhood Development Plan
The NDP team then spent several months sifting through all the evidence and community feedback, and writing up the first draft version of the Plan.
Formal Public Consultation
Now we have a Draft Plan, and the formal consultation on its contents with the local community and statutory and other organisations has begun. Details of this are given on the front page of this website.
What Happens Next?
After this consultation period, the NDP team will review the Plan in the light of the comments made and then submit it to the Parish Council for sign off before it is passed to Cornwall Council, which will check it to ensure that it
meets the relevant legal requirements.
An Independent Examiner will then ensure that the Plan complies with
national and local planning rules.
If it does, then a Local Referendum will be organised. All those living in theParish who have registered to vote in national and local elections will be able to take part in the Referendum.
If the Referendum says ‘Yes’, then the Plan will be used to help decide future planning applications and guide development in the Parish in the years to come.
To have a good Neighbourhood Plan that meets our community’s needs, it’s important that lots of people let us have their views on the Plan’s contents.