Cornwall new town near Truro Langarth Garden Village: full details

A 130-page masterplan has been published by Cornwall Council for the development of Langarth Garden Village, which is 3km west of Truro city centre.

Previously described as a new town, it will be similar in size to St Ives or Liskeard and have 3,500 new homes, 200 extra care homes and 50 student homes if plans are approved.

In addition there will be new schools, medical facilities, community centres, shops, parks, wildlife areas and a £47million road linking it all together.

The proposed Stadium for Cornwall is also part of the overall site and there are plans to extend the existing park and ride service already based at Langarth.

The Garden Village has risen out of the ashes of a number of disparate development plans, which were all granted planning permission for various developers across a number of sites in the Langarth area.

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But with those developments all hitting the buffers for various reasons Cornwall Council decided to step in – not least because the developments were set to provide a big chunk of the council’s proposed housing allocation in the Cornwall Local Plan.

In addition the council also wanted to provide a coherent approach to the developments so that they would all link together and have common design approaches.

And there was the opportunity to ensure that infrastructure which would be vital to the Garden Village – such as schools, roads and services – to be provided in time for residents moving into the new homes.

As a result the council has invested £160million in developing the proposals and is set to submit planning applications for the new Northern Access Road (NAR) and the Langarth Garden Village Masterplan before the end of the year.

So, what is in the Masterplan and what can we expect to see being built at the Langarth Garden Village over the next 30 years?

The Masterplan

In the introduction to the Masterplan it is stated that the garden village will be home to between 8,000 and 10,000 residents.

The plan is to have 35 per cent of the homes built in the community to be affordable homes and a mix of employment facilities, which will support start-up and growth for small and medium sized enterprises.

A key section of the masterplan sets out how Cornwall Council’s involvement in the development of the garden village will provide benefits to existing and future residents in the area.

These include protecting at least 48 per cent of the existing green space across the site – the former applications would have protected just 23 per cent - a promise that the the new homes will be of a standard "at least 20 per cent higher than current building regulations"., with a target of achieving zero carbon.

The development will use low carbon energy sources for heating, instead of fossil fuels, and provide electric vehicle charging points for every home.

New primary schools and health facilities would be built at the start of the project “rather than at the end when all the houses have been built”.

It also explains the aims to improve transport links and the plans to have new cycle routes, improved public transport and E-bike and E-car clubs.

There is also the investment in community projects in the Threemilestone and Highertown areas and plans to plant at least 50,000 trees which will be part of the Forest for Cornwall; as well as providing allotments, community gardens and community orchards.

Concerns

While the Masterplan is focused on what it sees as the benefits of Langarth Garden Village it also acknowledges the concerns that some local people have about the proposals.

The biggest of those concerns is the impact that introducing such a large number of new homes will have on the local infrastructure and services.

There are fears that the already busy A390 will become even more congested and that health and school services will be overwhelmed.

The masterplan states that this is why it is “essential” that infrastructure for the new community is provided early – in particular the school.

And there are also worries about the impact that Langarth could have on existing services in Thremilestone and Truro City Centre.

The masterplan states that it wants to “complement, not duplicate”.

There are also concerns about whether the garden village can truly reduce the reliance on cars for transport with the need for improved public transport, footpaths and cycle paths.

The document adds: “How you create a genuine community from scratch, with a sense of neighbourliness, belonging and care and ensuring community spaces and assets (outdoor and in) are well maintained in the long term is frequently cited as an issue that will need to be addressed. Providing homes for ‘locals only’ versus ‘delivering a diverse and inclusive community’ presents an interesting challenge.”

The Masterplan also notes that the number one potential benefit of the development among members of the public who took part in consultation was the provision of affordable housing.

Langarth Garden Village proposals

One of the key design features of the garden village is the plan to divide it into six distinct area. The entire development will also be connected to Threemilestone to ensure that residents from both sides of the A390 can use and share in local facilities.

Under the proposals there are plans for two extra care facilities and a minor injury unit alongside other health facilities.

The housing will include 35 per cent affordable homes from a total of 1,313, and there will be a variety of housing with 15 per cent detached homes, 25 per cent semi-detached, 55 per cent terraced homes and five per cent bungalows.

A new forest is planned for the north east corner of the development site which could have between 50,000 and 70,000 new trees.

A walking and cycling route is planned in the Bosvisack Corridor which runs along the northern boundary of the garden village which would have wooded areas. There will also be active spaces, wetponds and fishing ponds along the route.

Open space areas

Langarth Park North will be cycle and footpaths as well as an off-road BMX pump track. There will also be play areas for children and an allotment site.

Langarth Park South will have a central level area where the main features will be an informal sports pitch and an events space.

Langarth Square is almost in the centre of the garden village and is said to be based on “traditional market squares, often seen at the heart of Cornish towns and villages”.

The square will have “focal features and public art that reflect the traditional Cornish cross that was once located at the crossroads”. There will also be water features and lighting.

Nearby Willow Green Park will be turned into a series of spaces for play, informal sport and outdoor sport all connected by footpaths and cycleways.

Penventinnie Square would be at the southern edge of the Treliske valley. This area would be used for markets and outdoor performances and is said to be a meeting place. It would also be available for people using Royal Cornwall Hospital and the Treliske employment areas.

Penventinnie Park would provide more public open space with wooded boundaries and a wetpond area. There could also be more informal sports space and a community event space.

Community facilities

Two primary schools are planned, the first, the larger of the two would be a three-form entry school in a central area of the garden village. It would be near the Bosvisack Corridor and have a capacity for up to 675 pupils.

The second primary school would be towards the north east side of the site, near the new forest. This would be two-form entry and have up to 465 pupils. Either school could be used as a forest school.

Two allotment site areas are included in the development with one in the east and one in the west – the larger area would be in the east. There are also plans for communal gardens and a community farm.

There are several play areas planned for the garden village with four neighbourhood areas for play and two “destination” play areas.

Teens would have facilities such as a multi-use games area, a BMX track and a skate park.

The Garden Village will also have public realm art with plans for sculptures, digital art, performance art and landscaping. There will be a mix of permanent and temporary works and installations.

Cornwall Council’s Cabinet last week agreed to endorse the Langarth Garden Village masterplan as well as provide £11.9 million towards for the first primary school, £6.93 million for an energy centre for the garden village and more than £5 million for community facilities and improvements in Threemilestone.