The starting point in developing the housing figures for Liskeard was in the creation of the ‘strategic’ planning document for Cornwall known (ironically) as the Local Plan.
Public consultation on this will take place in spring 2014, after which Cornwall Council will consider the comments it recieves, and may make changes to the Plan prior to formal submitting it to the Secretary of State. An ‘Examination in Public’ is expected in spring 2015, with adoption of the Local Plan that summer.
During the production of the Local Plan, many in-depth studies were carried out under the banner of the Liskeard Town Framework, details of which can be found here Liskeard Town Framework.
The Housing target for Liskeard given in the emerging Local Plan (as at Jan 2014) is for 1250 new dwellings. From this 813 dwellings from recent building completions, live planning permissions and available sites can be deducted, leaving 437 to find new building land for.
However, there will be delays in the delivery of these dwellings, and some may never materialise, so its sensible to make an allowance for that. Currently that allowance is 18% of permissions, and 50% of other sites.
That means the figure of 437 new dwellings revises up to between 575 and 600. Looking forward, its possible that Cornwall Council may be able to deduct an allowance for ‘windfall’ dwellings (ie dwellings on sites that werent expected) based on hsitorical trends.
But as it stands today, one of the main tasks of the Lisekard Neigthbourhood Plan will be to find land in and around Liskeard thats enough to meet the Local Plan ‘target’ of 600 dwelings.
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It is important to infill sites wherever possible. The small industrial sites scattered through the town centre should be moved or encouraged to move to planned industrial areas at Moorswater etc. Thus in Barn Street and Station Road there are at least three of these including Taylors Motors. In Heathlands Road it was a mistake to site industrial premises as large supply lorries have to negotiate their way there. Industry is important to the town but needs to be sited away from the centre to relieve congestion by heavy vehicles. New sites must be created out of town and the old sites converted to housing.
It is a bad mistake to perpetuate these sites and to restrict housing development.
Thanks for your comment. The reuse of outworn industrial land to meet various priority needs, such as housing, is sure to be an issue the Neighbourhood Plan will have to consider. I’ll ensure your comment is also included with the comments that are received from the forthcoming community engagement sessions that will guide us in creating the plan.
Steve BF