West Carclaze Eco CommunityConsultationnews

October 2014

We wish to share our emerging plans with you before we submit a planning application to create a new community on the former clay mining area at West Carclaze

2 West Carclaze Eco Community Consultation news

Tell us whatyou think...

West Carclaze

Our plan for West Carclaze includes new homes with the further benefit of services and facilities for the local area

Our proposal

A new primary school designed for over 420 children for the local area.

A new Eco-community of 1,550 new homes

Our Planning Application will include:

� Up to 1,550 new homes � Affordable housing � Village centre � Health Facilities � Local shops � Community facility � Primary School � Local energy provision � Local employment and live/

work space � Footpath and cycle links � Extensions to the Clay Trails � Local Parks and open space � Allotments

Introduction from Councillor German Cornwall Council has been working in partnership with Eco-Bos to help bring forward a planning application in December of this year for the West Carclaze Eco-community. We are doing this to support the regeneration and economic growth in the St Austell and China Clay area. An eco-community is a way of providing good quality sustainable communities for the future. We are able to work in this way as central government have provided Cornwall Council with the funds. Many of you came and saw our consultation display in May and June of this year at White River Place, and since then we have been developing the new community in line with your comments.

This newsletter is to inform you of our current plans and asks for your views. There is a freepost survey included which I welcome you to complete and we also have the same survey online. By visiting our website @ www.cornwall.gov.uk/ecotown you can complete the survey and see more information.

Thank you for your time

Councillor Julian German Portfolio holder for Economy and Culture, Cornwall Council

Where is it?’

E ecotown@cornwall.gov.uk W www.cornwall.gov.uk/ecotown

A future china clay landscape for all

As the land owner and developer behind the West Carclaze scheme, opening up wider countryside access at West Carclaze is one of our objectives. We see the access to this Green Space as being a fundamental building block for the new community and nearby villages. It will be a resource for both nature and people, creating an environmentally sustainable place that people can enjoy.

How will this happen? Our plan is to establish a framework for the management of the West Carclaze Landscape so that it can be enjoyed for decades to come. This can be achieved through the creation of a Land Trust whose responsibility would be to oversee the management and development of the main aspects of the Green Space.

This could be done by either:

� Bringing in an experienced Land Trust operator to set up and operate the framework.

� Creating a specific West Carclaze Landscape Trust

The landscape management framework would encompass all of the following features which will need to be taken into account as part of the management of the Green Space:

� Tips including the Great Treverbyn Tip (Sky Tip) and the Ninestones Tips

� Mica dams � Lakes � Leats and drainage

The key principles at the heart of the Green Space management framework are:

� To promote the landscape for employment and leisure activities

� To open up areas of land to provide wider leisure and recreation access for all

� To facilitate educational opportunities within the landscape

� To provide and maintain all trails, play areas, landscape and associated facilities.

� To manage natural habitat and wildlife areas.

� To use the land productively to fund it’s running and management costs. This could include promoting income from renewable energies, leisure activities (e.g. cycle hire), public events and identified public facilities

116 hectares of new public open space, similar in size to the Eden Project

Over 10 miles of new leisure trails and paths for cycling and walking.

Retention and creation of new

wildlife habitats integrated into the new development

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The latest masterplanWe want your thoughts on the latest emerging masterplan

YOU ASKED HOW CAN WE STOP RAT RUNNING THROUGH PENWITHICK? The residential roads are designed to make vehicles drive slower therefore making the A391 the preferred route for drivers.

YOU ASKED CAN WE HAVE MORE TRAILS AND PATHS TO WALK, CYCLE AND HORSE RIDE ON? We have identified potential extensions to the clay trails and included a wide range of new greenways, paths and cycleways.

YOU SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE SOME LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY ON SITE So we are investigating a number of options as well as the delivery of a solar farm

YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SKY TIP The Sky Tip has being left unchanged.

YOU SAID THAT THE AREA NEEDED GOOD QUALITY GREEN SPACE, TREES AND PLAY SPACES The proposal includes over 116 hectares of open space, including formal and informal recreation areas for existing residents and the new community.

Solar Farm

Solar Farm

Approved Technology Park

Safe pedestrian crossing

A391 under constructionProposed Ninestones

viewing area with new improved landscape

A391

Carthew

Caerloggas Downs

Penhale Lake

Great Treverbyn Lake

Stenalees

5October 2014

We want your thoughts on the latest emerging masterplan

YOU ASKED CAN MY CHILD GO TO THE NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL? Yes when the primary school is opened it will operate the same as other primary schools in the area.

YOU SAID THAT THE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD ALLOW FOR ENOUGH PARKING We have made sure the masterplan is designed to allow for the motor car, as well as providing good access to public transport.

YOU SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A MIX OF HOUSING INCLUDING AFFORDABLE A range of housing is proposed with around 57% 1-2 bed properties and 43% 3+ bed properties, which will include affordable housing.

MANY SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD ALSO MASTERPLAN FOR THE GAP BETWEEN PENWITHICK AND THE REST OF THE DEVELOPMENT. So we have drawn up a plan of the wider area including new homes and a green corridor for the gap between Penwithick and the site.. (see plan right)

Solar Farm

Approved Technology Park

Safe pedestrian crossing New village

centre

Primary school

New bridges

A391 under construction

Penwithick

Road to Eden Project

St. Austell Print Building

YOU WANTED BETTER FACILITIES CLOSE TO PENWITHICK So we have created a new village centre, this includes a new school, health, community and local shops.

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West Carclaze will deliver important local facilities, benefiting existing communities in the area, such as St Austell, Stenalees, Bugle and Penwithick.

Questions & answers

Are the roadworks part of this development?

What can be done about traffic on local roads?

Impacts on the St Austell road network and the village of Penwithick are being investigated. Local road network improvements are part of the proposal. By summer 2015 construction of the A391 and Bugle and Stenalees improvements will be in place.

Yes, Cornwall Council secured European Funding to build the A391 road improvement in this location to help secure economic investment in the area. The road is in the middle of the development. It includes two bridges to help connect the Clay Trails and future development on both sides of the road.

Why is this happening here?Imerys have a large amount of land which is no longer required for mining. This land has been identified in the emerging Local Plan for Cornwall as an acceptable site for new development.

Is there a Technology Park planned?Yes, Cornwall Council secured planning permission in March 2013 for a business park next to the road, and plans to secure further European Funding to build the first employment building.

It is a charitable organisation which takes over the responsibility of the land and manages it in line with agreed principles. Membership could include community representation.

What is a Land Trust?

What about the environment?The planning application will include environmental studies which will cover all land within the masterplan, no matter who owns it.

What happens to all of this land without the development?Imerys will continue to manage the land as it does today being part of its non-operational estate without public access.

Will we be able to walk up the Sky Tip?No. In its current form it is too steep to allow for access which is safe and accessible for all. However there is provision in the masterplan for additional scenic viewing points to be opened on the nearby reprofiled and restored Ninestones Tip.

What is proposed for the Sky Tip?

The June consultation raised the importance of the Sky Tip. We have reconfigured the Masterplan to allow it to be retained and for this land to be included in the Land Trust. However Imerys and Eco-Bos continue to evaluate factors influencing the Sky Tip and the potential for it to remain in its current form. The planning application will not propose any works to the Sky Tip.

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Local centre aerial

West CarclazeLocal Centre AerialFor Savills

00829_SK_001ACA3 1:500

What is Cornwall Council’s role?Cornwall Council has funding from central government to prepare a planning application for the Eco-community site. Cornwall Council has also secured the European funding for the A391 improvements. Once a planning application is submitted a separate part of the Council in the Planning Service will have the role of assessing the application.

Who is the landowner for the development?Imerys owns the land that will form the planning application. There are a number of private landowners that are between Imerys land and Penwithick, as well as in Carluddon. The masterplan seeks to provide an option for this land to be developed in the future.

Who is Eco-Bos?

Eco-Bos is a private sector company made up from Imerys the land owner and a Swiss based developer, Orascom Development Holding AG. Eco-Bos’ long term objective is to develop the Eco-communities within the China Clay Area.

Can’t we have the Land Trust without the development?The cost of setting up and managing a large area of open space is significant and is only possible when there is development to help fund its future.

What about flooding downstream from the site?

The proposals include a strategy for managing surface water drainage to ensure no downstream impacts

What about renewable energy?The planning application will include an energy strategy identifying all of the potential renewable energy options for the community.

What can be done about traffic on local roads? The proposal is for a new mixed use community combining homes, jobs, infrastructure, and renewable energy solutions with Green Space and leisure facilities, all designed and built to be sustainable for the long term future.

Will the Eco-Bos house types be included?Yes the Eco-Bos house types will be included in the Design Code which sits alongside the Masterplan. These will be available for future owners to select from and have built.

We welcome your questions and comments:T: 01872 224432E: ecotown@cornwall.gov.uk www.cornwall.gov.uk/ecotown