FAQs and Issues Raised During Each Zoom Session

 

The Neighbourhood Development Plan Steering Group have produced this document to address the common questions that have arisen so far in the pre-submission consultation process. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated as and when necessary.

 1.       Will the boundary for the parish of Portreath change?

 ANSWER - No the parish boundary remains the same. However within that boundary proposed settlement boundaries have been added

 2.        What are settlement boundaries?

  ANSWER - They are lines drawn around settlement areas as a planning tool. There are different restrictions for development within and outside these boundary lines

 3.       Can houses be built inside the settlement boundaries?

 Answer –Yes. Up to 3 new houses per site could be built at Portreath and up to 2 per site at Bridge or Porthtowan. Note the policy seeks to avoid piecemeal developments being brought forward individually that would collectively exceed these numbers, to avoid circumvention of the policy direction.

 4.        What can be built outside of the settlement boundaries?

 ANSWER - Small scale rural exception sites (which are affordable housing led) will be supported, subject to accordance with other policies in the NDP and Cornwall Local Plan, where they are physically adjacent to the settlement of Portreath and are of no more than ten residential units (see policy 1 c of the NDP).  Also, any housing development that aligns with Policy 7: Housing in the countryside of the Cornwall Local Plan will also be supported as a point of principle (see policy 1d of the NDP) outside of the settlement development boundaries (this relates to schemes such as replacement dwellings, barn conversion, essential rural workers accommodation). 

5.       The black settlement line goes through my garden can I still extend my property , landscape my garden with decking or put a new shed in my garden?

ANSWER – Yes. The settlement line relates to the construction of new dwellings. It does not    affect any non-permanent constructions in your gardens such as sheds, decking or a summerhouse. It does not prevent you from seeking normal planning permission for extensions to  your property.

 

This is the second in our series of FAQs. It includes a summary of the issues raised at our third zoom meeting as well as some questions that have arisen during the consultation.

1. Will members of the public be able to see the final report of the pre submission consultation before it is presented to the PC?

ANSWER - Yes. A full report will be presented to the Parish Council (PC) . This report will contain formal responses to all of the issues raised during the pre- submission consultation. The Clerk will share the report, usually the week before the meeting (legally it must be at least three clear days before the meeting), on the PC website and will also be put it on the NDP website.

Parish Council meetings are always open to the public and anyone can attend, there are opportunities to speak and state your view. The Agendas for PC meetings are posted on the notice boards and the Portreath Parish Website.

2. Can I submit more than one survey?

ANSWER - No, each parishioner and business in the parish has the opportunity to make one submission. This submission can be made on the Go Collaborate site -https://app.gocollaborate.co.uk/cornwall/portreath or by paper copy available at the post office. You can change or update your submission on the Go Collaborate site, but this still will only count once. Go Collaborate have adequate software to ensure email verification and to identify email accounts that are not properly registered.

3. Will I still be able to extend my property or build an annexe for a dependent relative?

ANSWER - Yes, normal planning policies still apply.

4. Is the NDP adding tiers to planning law?

ANSWER - It may appear like this but the purpose of the plan is to set out the vision for an area and to give the community an increased opportunity to influence planning in their area. Neighbourhood Development Plans guide development to meet the needs of the local community, informed by the community. They can also help to improve sustainability and protect the environment.

5. Do I need to include a reference code in order for my submission to be included in the formal response?

ANSWER – No. As well as survey responses we will include all submissions from the following: NDP website , NDP Facebook page, portreathparishndp@outlook.com, ZOOM meetings, phone calls (07780828751). It helps if you are specific in your comments.

6. This is the first I have heard of the plan, how did it come about?

ANSWER - Over the past 2 years an extensive amount of work has been done to ensure people have their say and have helped to create this draft plan. This has involved surveys to every household as well as public meetings.

We are particularly proud to have involved the school, pre-school, the Youth Group, young people and older residents through a range of creative projects. The World Café with 170 people attending was a huge success.

In October 2020 the formal pre -submission consultation began. This has been challenging because of Covid 19, nevertheless we have contacted every household and business in the area, set up an electronic platform for information to submit your views, set up paper summaries of the document and held three public zoom meetings. Finally, we extended the time you have to respond to 12 weeks rather than the standard 6 weeks.

For more information visit our website: www.portreathndp.org

7. What happens to the draft NDP at the end of this consultation period?

ANSWER - The pre-submission consultation ends 31/12/20. Thereafter, all of the comments received from the above routes given in question number 5 will be documented and reviewed by the Portreath NDP steering group.

The steering group then produce a consultation statement including responses to comments received. This statement and any proposed amendments to the plan are forwarded to the parish council.

The parish council will review all of the information provided, make any amendments and then send the plan to Cornwall Council. This part of the process should be completed by the end of March 2021.

When the Cornwall Council receive the plan, they undertake their own consultation and then appoint an external examiner who may recommend amendments to the plan. The final plan moves to the referendum phase which will include all adult residents of the parish of Portreath. This part of the process takes approximately 6 months.

The outcome of the Portreath NDP planning process should be known by the beginning of 2022.

8. Can I write to the examiner directly?

ANSWER - No there is no direct dialogue with the examiner. The Examiner will see all of the responses that are submitted.

9. How have you engaged with landowners and property owners who do not live in the village?

ANSWER- We have mailed every property in our parish and hope that second home owners will have received the correspondence in this way. We have produced regular updates at Parish Council Meetings and on the parish council website and hope this is a place that landowners may look for information.

10. Where can I find out more information about GoCollaborate?

ANSWER – On our website www.portreathndp.org where there is a whole section on GoCollaborate including FAQs

11. What if I continue to find it difficult to submit my views on GoCollaborate?

ANSWER – You can always use a paper copy. This can be downloaded from our website www.portreathndp.org , the survey is attached to the executive summary. Alternatively you can pick up a paper copy at the post office.