Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 Contents CORNWALL LDF: CORE STRATEGY PLACE-BASED ISSUES 1 PAPER: TRURO AND ROSELAND COMMUNITY NETWORK AREA Summary 1 Purpose of paper 1 Truro including Roseland Community Network Area 2 Key Facts 3 Introduction 5 Housing 6 Local Economy 8 Retail and Town Centres 9 Transport and Accessibility 11 Community facilities 13 People 14 Environment 16 Coast 18 Summary and Key Spatial Issues 20 Appendix A: Community Planning Area Visions / Key Objectives 20 Appendix B: Landscape Character information from the 2007 25 Cornwall Landscape Character Assessment Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 Contents Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 1 Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area Summary Table .1 This paper summarises the key emerging issues for the Truro including Roseland Community Network Area brought together to inform the Cornwall Core Strategy. The key issues: Issue 1 – Plan for the appropriate location and distribution of housing growth, taking into consideration the evidence gathering work for the Truro and Threemilestone Area Action Plan. Issue 2 – Balance the provision of employment and housing to reduce commuting and provide affordable housing. Issue 3 – Maintain the provision of high quality jobs in Truro. Issue 4 – Support the retail function of Truro in relation to other main towns in Cornwall and within the South West. Issue 5 – Protect shops and access to services and facilities in rural areas. Issue 6 – Encourage transport infrastructure provision to support growth. Issue 7 – Enable the use of more sustainable transport modes and reduce congestion. Issue 8 – Encourage the provision of health, leisure, education and sports facilities to support population growth. Issue 9 – Provide a strategic framework to balance economic development, maritime industries, protection of the environment and access to the coast. Purpose of paper This is one of a series of papers whose main purpose is to identify the key issues for a specific area of Cornwall. There are nineteen Community Network Areas in Cornwall, based on groupings of parishes as shown on the map below. Community Network Areas were introduced to give communities a stronger voice in helping them deal with complex issues. In this they offer a valuable conduit through which proposed Core Strategy area policies can be refined to reflect local issues through engagement, policy formulation, delivery and local ownership. Further information on Community Network Areas can be found at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=12439. The various issues have been identified from a variety of sources including plans and proposals of other organisations. Parish Plans have been very useful in identifying issues as have the results of previous consultations carried out for the draft Truro and Threemilestone Area Action plan; a 2 Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area summary of the ‘visions’ for each of the Parish Plans and the Area Action Plan undertaken in the Community Network Area is included in Appendix 1. These place-based papers, along with the topic-based Issues Papers, will form the first stage of the development of options for the Core Strategy. A full list of the Core Strategy Issues Papers can be found on the Council’s website http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=22887. Truro including Roseland Community Network Area Description ~ This Community Network Area comprises of the parishes of Chacewater, Kenwyn, St. Erme, Ladock, Kea, Truro, St. Clement, Probus, Grampound with Creed, St Michael Penkivel, Feock, Tregony, Cuby, Philleigh, Ruanlanihorne, St Michael Caerhays, Veryan, St Just in Roseland and Gerrans. The area includes the city of Truro, the creekside parishes of Feock and Kea, the Roseland peninsula with its long stretch of south coast and large rural areas to the north east of Truro. Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 3 Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area Key Facts Key facts about the Network Area include the following (follow this link www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=20177 for the latest version of the Truro (including Roseland) Community Network Profile which gives more information): PARISHES: Chacewater, Cuby, Feock, Gerrans, Grampound with Creed, Kea, Kenwyn, Ladock, Philleigh, Probus, Ruanlanihorne, St Clement, St Erme, St Just-in-Roseland, St Michael Caerhays, St Michael Penkivel, Tregony, Truro and Veryan. POPULATION: The Truro and Roseland Community Network Area has a population of 44,300, of which 22,700 live in Truro (2008 mid-year estimates). During the period 2001-2008, the growth rate was slightly higher (7%) than the Cornwall average (6%). The age distribution is similar to the Cornwall average, although there are slightly higher proportions of the population in the 80 plus age group. The average population density is 1.39 people per hectare, slightly below the average of 1.5, reflecting that the network area contains some sparsely populated rural areas as well as the city. ENVIRONMENT: The entire stretch of the south coast is included in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within the area and two Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). There is a contrast between the urban area of Truro and the more rural areas around and to the south of the city. Truro is at a higher risk from surface 4 Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area water, sewage, fluvial and tidal flooding. The Gwennap Mining District with Kennal Vale, Devoran and Perran Foundry, part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscapes World Heritage Site lies mainly within this area. There are building conservation areas in Chacewater, Devoran, Gerrans, Grampound, Portloe, Portscatho, Probus, St. Clement, St. Mawes, Tregony, Truro, Veryan and Veryan Green. HOUSING: There were around 20,636 dwellings in 2010, with there having been a 20% increase in dwelling numbers for the period 1991-2010 (average of 20% across Cornwall). As at 31st March 2010 there were 176 dwellings under construction and 627 unimplemented planning permissions. About 1.8% of dwellings were registered as empty properties - Cornwall average 1.7% - and 8.6% of properties were registered as second homes – Cornwall average 10.7% (Council Tax, 2011). These figures indicate that an average proportion of dwellings remain vacant, and that there is minimal competition from other types of dwelling occupiers – most dwellings are used by permanent residents. 222 affordable homes are required each year to meet need. EMPLOYMENT: Truro is the largest employment centre in Cornwall and is particularly strong in the public administration, health and education sectors. It has fewer jobs in manufacturing, energy and water and construction than average nationally for a town of its size. Manufacturing is declining whilst the service sector is growing. The rural and coastal areas support some jobs in farming and tourism, but many people in the rural areas commute to work, typically to Truro. Unemployment is relatively low yet wages are well below the national average. TRAVEL: There is a mainline station at Truro. A branch line runs from Truro to Falmouth (via Perranwell and Penryn). This central area of the county is well served by bus routes. The more remote areas of the Roseland peninsula are the least well connected by public transport although the King Harry Ferry across the Fal significantly increases the accessibility of southern Roseland. There are also seasonal passenger ferry services between Truro, Falmouth and Malpas and between Malpas and Place. The A390 runs west/east through Truro linking to the A30 in the west and to St. Austell to the east. There is a Park and Ride at Threemilestone for traffic travelling into the city along the A390. The A39 links to Falmouth to the south and to the A30 in the north. The roads tend to be very congested at peak times, mainly due to commuter traffic. Coaches connect Truro with London, the south coast and the north, as well as other Cornish towns. FACILITIES: Truro is the main shopping centre for comparison* goods in Cornwall. The city contains a wide range of shops and services including a leisure centre with a swimming pool. Many of the smaller towns and villages manage to retain and support a village hall and shop as well as sports facilities. The larger settlements such as Tregony, St. Mawes, Probus, Grampound, Gerrans, Chacewater, Devoran and Carnon Downs have a doctor’s surgery. Where permanent facilities do not exist there are often mobile services (banks, shops, fish and chips etc). * Comparison shopping is the provision of items not bought on a frequent basis i.e. clothing, footwear, household and recreational goods. Options Consultation Feedback Feedback from the public exhibitions held in Truro on 25th February and 7th April 2011 shows that 46% opted for medium growth across Cornwall (48,000 new homes) and 45% preferred the dispersed approach to distribution (growth split between main towns and villages). Truro and Roseland Issues Paper - January 2012 5 Cornwall LDF: Core Strategy Place-based Issues Paper: Truro and Roseland Community Network Area The response from the town and parish councils in the area to the Options on growth and distribution are shown in the table below: Table .2 Council Growth Option Distribution Option Truro City Council Dispersed Kea Parish Council Low Dispersed Laddock Parish Council Mix of Dispersed & Economy St Erme Parish Council Local needs growth based on parish Perranaworthal Parish Council Parish plan = 60 dwellings over 20 years St Just in Roseland Parish Council High Dispersed Introduction The following tables provide the link between the ‘Topic Based Issues Papers’ and the ‘Place Based Issues Papers’.