The Draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS)
26 April 2007RSS could just as easily stand for Really Stupid Suggestions.
Unfortunately, Cornwall falls under the South West Region which includes Swindon and Bristol and whose northernmost tip is closer to Scotland than to Hayle! Consequently planners ‘up country’ have no inkling about Cornwall and its special needs.
The premise of the RSS is a good one. We need to reduce energy usage in line with the Kyoto Protocol and the way to do this is to create sustainable communities where people can live, work and find entertainment – all without the use of cars.
Alas! Cornwall does not fit the mould. We do not have any large conurbations, such as Plymouth or Bristol, so the RSS invents CPR (Camborne/Pool/Redruth). The area of Truro, CPR and Falmouth will become a ‘golden triangle’ of development. Everywhere else can become poorer than they are now.
These selected wonder zones are elegantly named SSCTs (Strategically Significant Cities and Towns. I’ll quickly list the SSCTs in Penwith:
- NONE.
Since significant investment is only permitted in SSCTs where does that leave Penwith? Even the Hayle Harbour development and St. Ives Tate Phase II are technically illegal under the RSS.
Penwith District Council, Hayle Town Council and even I have made protestations on the asinine draft document. It is now in the ‘Examination in Public’ phase and we can only hope that the examiner listens to the representations.
This is part of PDCs official submission:
4. The Role of Hayle
4.1 Despite being on the verge of benefitting from a £175 million redevelopment scheme on the largest previously developed brownfield site in Cornwall, the fact that the draft RSS omits Hayle could result in it being wrongly construed as within the ’small town and village’ category. This could have serious implications for the redevelopment of Hayle and could
affect funding for critical services such as health, public transport and rural facilities. In light of the criteria outlined for ‘Market Towns’ (Development Policy B) the Council requests that Hayle is recognised and referenced in paragraph 4.4.19. The complementary development relationship between Hayle and Camborne/Pool/Redruth should also be recognised, especially given that Regional Development Agency view Hayle in that light and have chosen Hayle as the base for Wave Hub. It should also be highlighted that a considerable level of research has been carried out in respect of the Hayle harbour proposal with regard to flood risk mitigation and work is ongoing in respect of the production of a master plan which seeks to provide environmental asset protection.
4.2 Account must be taken of the potential role of the town of Hayle. Recent developments which include a small retail park accommodating the likes of Next, Boots and shortly M&S, has raised the profile of the town. In addition, the long awaited Hayle harbour development, a major scheme of regeneration by ING involving a considerable predominantly brownfield site, is nearing application stage. It is now anticipated that the Harbour development plans will be likely to include circa 950 dwelling units in order to make the scheme viable and minimise the need for public subsidy. With regard to the question concerning additional greenfield development, the experience with Hayle harbour is that in order to provide a suitable mixed development and sustainable community a significant element of greenfield development is required in order to produce a viable scheme and minimise the need for public funding.
4.3 SWRDA has also committed considerable resources and finance in respect of the Hayle Harbour scheme in relation to Wave Hub the wave energy scheme which is located off Hayle in the St. Ives Bay. Thus, there are considerable potential benefits, not least from the potential location of R&D and support business related to wave energy development. Hayle is well placed in terms of the A30 Trunk Road network, has a rail station, and will benefit from a new park and ride facility (both rail and bus) to be located at St. Erth funded through the LTP. The rail link accounting for both Hayle and St. Erth Stations, in particular makes Penzance, CPR and Truro. Whilst road access is restricted in the far west of the Penwith District in terms of the ability to provide a reasonably sustainable transport service within the district Penwith is reasonably well placed to be able to serve its own needs, subject to suitable inward investment.
There are days when I despair that we will ever be able to drag Penwith out of the poverty trap it is now in. We must keep on trying but Really Stupid Suggestions don’t help!
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