Growth – Some Have It – Some Don’t

Growth of our cities and towns is an emotive subject. Depending on where you live or what you do will determine whether you are for it or against it. Whatever side of the fence you are on, it’s important you take an interest in an event that is about to happen. The Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West is starting its Examination in Public and the outcome will determine where growth will occur.

So what is proposed? In the Peninsula – Somerset, Devon and Cornwall – some cities and town are identified as the primary focus for development. Which ones would you choose? Plymouth – well yes an obvious one. Exeter – again an obvious one but what about Bridgwater in Somerset? Not so obvious is it? So where are these cities and towns? By county they are:

Somerset – Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil
Devon – Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay
Cornwall – Camborne/Poole/Redruth/Falmouth-Penryn/Truro (all classed as one place)

Why these places? Well, these areas offer opportunities for employment, accessibility and level of facilities. Each of these cities or towns can expect significant investment to enable them to cope with what will be significant levels of growth.

Overall, the growth over current levels of development is in the order of 25%+ but in the areas identified as the primary focus for growth, the increase is likely to be significantly greater.

The cities and towns identified for growth obviously vary in function and size. Plymouth has a large population and good employment base whereas Bridgwater is
a very small town with limited services. To be fair, Bridgwater will be considered as part of the Taunton area, notwithstanding its separate identification in the Strategy. The differences in size and function is reflected in the scale of growth identified for each of these settlements. Thus, Plymouth is expected to provide between 1,000 and 1,450 new dwellings every year: whereas Bridgewater’s target is between 380 – 460 per year.

Employment is also expected to grow. The target for Plymouth is to generate an extra 42,000 jobs by 2026. This might be a tall order, especially with the future of the naval base under review. Bridgwater, in conjunction with its neighbours, Taunton and Wellington, is expected to generate 18,500 jobs over the same period.

Cornwall deserves a special mention. Truro-Falmouth-Penryn-Camborne-Pool- Redruth are grouped together. Why? Their collective role makes them of regional significance and thus suitable for growth. No other city or town in Cornwall, such as Penzance, Liskeard or Bodmin is identified as a focus for growth and your reaction to this will depend upon your view of growth. If you are anti-growth and live in Launceston, you will be supporting the Strategy. If you live in Truro you will not be so happy. If you are pro-growth and live or work in Liskeard, you might oppose the Strategy but be happy with it if you live in Bridgwater.

So it’s relevant to ask what will happen in the other cities and towns in the Peninsula which are not a primary focus for growth. There are many of them. In Somerset there is Wells, Street, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Frome, Minehead, Crewkerne, Chard and Wincanton. In Devon there are many more such as Tiverton, Bideford, Okehampton, Tavistock and Seaton, just to name some of them. In Cornwall, the list includes Bodmin, Padstow, Newquay, Penzance and Liskeard

These towns will be restricted to providing ‘locally’ significant development, mainly to meet their own needs. Development is dependant on existing business and employment, good public transport, other services and infrastructure.

This restricted growth could have significant implications for services such as education, with South West school roles currently declining and are forecast to continue to decline. Health services are also under threat as the trend is to close the smaller facilities and merge them with larger units in the cities.

Whatever your view of growth, most of us would feel this to be a retrograde step.

The peninsula counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall are, of course, still largely rural areas with many areas of outstanding countryside, and in some cases, vibrant villages. The small towns and villages which are important parts of rural life, may see ‘small’ scale development with new housing agreed if it meets local needs or supports local employment. Sustaining these smaller communities and retaining the village school, pub, post office and shop is vital to the functioning of the rural areas and the question must be asked ‘Is the strategy robust enough to achieve this?’

Whether you are in favour or against growth, there is plenty to think about in the emerging strategy as it undergoes its public examination. The Public Examination is in Exeter at The Thistle Hotel between 17 April and 6 July. The meetings are open to the public but participation is by invitation only. Foot Anstey Planning will be participating and putting a strong case on behalf of its clients.

A “health” warning to finish. The proposed current levels of growth are likely to increased and not decrease. Why? because the implications from the ‘Barker Report’ and more recent statistics published by the Office for National Statistics have identified the need for higher levels of growth in the Peninsula. Secondly, the list of cities and towns identified as a primary focus for growth will almost certainly change. It’s anyone’s guess as to what the final list will look like.

So it’s true – as far as growth is concerned – some have it and some don’t.