Cornwall’s Success In Unitary Bid- A Planner’s View

Whilst an article on Cornwall’s recent ‘success’ in it’s bid to become a unitary authority is perhaps not the most compelling headline you’re likely to encounter, the impacts will be felt by everyone living in the County. As a planner I can see substantial changes for both businesses and individuals in their business and personal lives.

Up until recently Cornwall County Council used its Structure Plan to set the planning policy for the whole county. Each of the individual district councils, Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith and Restormel, then produced a district wide Local Plan that needed to be ‘in conformity’ with the Structure Plan before it could be adopted.

The County Council’s planning role was diminished with the abolition of Structure Plans, which have been partially replaced with the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West Region. Each District Council now prepares Local Development Frameworks (LDF) instead of Local Plans. Each District Council convenes a planning committee to decide on planning applications (except for minerals and waste applications).

The bid to become a unitary authority emphasised the reduction of duplication with one LDF planning policy document for the whole county. Similarly planning applications will be heard at one planning committee to cover the whole county and be backed by four sub-area committees.

A vast amount of faith is put behind the assertion that the new way will be more efficient. I think that there will be much disquiet in the district council planning departments concerning the impending axe of efficiency and the effect on job security.

Outside those working in planning and development, ‘So what?’, may be the cry. Well, harking back to my planning educational days, the issue seems to be subsidiarity. This is a principle that states matters ought to be handled by the smallest (or, the lowest) competent authority. For example, Penwith’s local plan was produced by planners working in Penwith who, one would hope, know the area inside out. Similarly, decisions on planning applications are made by planners and committee who know the area.

The fear that one LDF, stretching from Bude to Saltash to Lands End could ignore the local angle and impose policy ignoring local circumstances is, I think, a real one. The other side of this coin is that a unitary authority has more of a strategic overview and they could eliminate some of the more parochial decisions.

There is a very fine balancing act in terms of decision making in planning. In some examples parochial decisions can be right and instil some sanity to decisions made from afar that ignore local circumstances. On the other hand, most people who work in planning and development can think of at least one decision made by local politicians that defied logic, common sense and policy and wasted an awful lot of effort and public money.

I am sure that this newspaper will continue to highlight planning decisions causing angst for local residents. Some of this may be attributable to the new decision making process brought about by one unitary authority for the County. I’m also sure that many good decisions will be made, but we’re unlikely to hear about them.

Published 03/08/2007.