What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a way for communities to set a vision for the future of their Parish, Town or Village embedded in the Local Authority’s planning framework in the form of planning policies. If the Plan is approved by residents and Cornwall Council, all future developments requiring planning permission must abide by its policies.
Which areas are included in the draft Penzance Neighbourhood Plan?
The draft plan covers the entire civil Parish of Penzance – both Penzance town itself and the other distinct communities within the Parish including:
- Newlyn
- Mousehole
- Paul
- Heamoor
- Gulval
- Eastern Green
What is the draft Penzance Neighbourhood Plan all about?
The draft Plan addresses a wide range of things including economic development, housing, regeneration, open spaces, and the natural environment. It also includes separate policy sections for Penzance and Newlyn, reflecting the specific issues and regeneration opportunities in those two places.
The draft Plan includes 5 Policy Areas for the whole Parish:
Development, Design & Heritage
The aim of the policies in this area is to make sure future developments make a positive impact on the physical fabric of our town, villages and communities, respect what we already have and, reflect the needs and aspirations of people living and working in the Parish.
Economy
Like many remote, coastal communities, the Parish has felt the impact of significant changes in the economy. The aim of the policies in this area is to enable development which will help to grow the local economy through investment and in turn create new jobs with a fair wage.
Housing
Getting housing provision right is fundamental. The aim of the policies in this area is to help provide homes which are genuinely affordable relative to local incomes.
Natural Environment & Green Infrastructure
Protecting the environment is essential to our quality of life and well-being, and to the attractiveness of the Parish. A good-quality built environment includes green infrastructure for people such as cycle routes, footpaths and green spaces, as well as visual and physical connections with the coast and surrounding open countryside, and enhancing biodiversity.
The aims of the policies in the this area are to protect areas of landscape, biodiversity and semi-rural spaces as valuable green and blue infrastructure with their own specific roles within the Parish.
Coastal Vulnerability
The coastline of the Parish is highly exposed to flooding and storm damage which, without active intervention, will increase with rising sea levels and climate change.
The draft Plan supports the designation of Long Rock, Eastern Green, Chyandour, Penzance, Wherrytown & Newlyn as Coastal Change Management Areas, with a view to the future development of Coastal Change Management Plans.
Where can I view the draft Plan?
You can also view our evidence base, including previous consultation data, which supports the Plan’s policies.