Town council to met over Wainhomes appeal
News Archive > General > Town council to met over Wainhomes appeal
COUNCILLORS are staging a special meeting to formulate a strategy following a developer's decision to go to appeal on its plans to build 1,300 homes in the town.St Austell Town Council is organising the gathering to ensure the authority’s views are represented after Wainhomes lodged an appeal for non determination on the scheme, which is earmarked to be built on 126 acres of pastureland to the west of Carclaze.
Cornwall Council was due to make a decision on the application by Monday, March 22, but the authority had been given extra time to bring the application to committee, following negotiations with the house builder to iron out several issues.
The Secretary of State will now appoint a planning inspector to decide the proposal, which involves constructing retail and employment space together with public open space, education, public transport provision and a Community Transport Hub. The St Austell Town Council extraordinary general meeting to discuss the recent developments will be held in the council chamber at Penwinnick Road on Tuesday, June 29, at 6.30pm.
The authority previously recommended to Cornwall Council in January that the scheme should be refused following traffic congestion, highways and flood drainage concerns.
David Pooley, town clerk, said: "I am very disappointed Wainhomes has decided to go to appeal.
“I think the local politicians should have had the chance to determine the application in the first instance. It has taken away the local decision making process.
“We are holding the special meeting to discuss the Wainhomes planning application and the latest information received.
“ 0This will allow us to ensure that we have made full and proper representations to Cornwall Council and that our views are fed into the appeal process.
"We have received updated plans and further details about some of the highways proposals from Cornwall Council.
"We need to consider these and determine our response in the light of the new information. If the application is dealt with by the planning inspector our comments will be passed to him and considered in the enquiry process."
Steve Kirby, a senior planning officer at Cornwall Council, who is the case officer in the application, has been invited to attend the meeting.
Councillor John Stocker said: “The town council meeting will look at where we have got to and what new information there is and what the officer’s recommendation is, whether the council is opposing the appeal or supporting the appeal.”
