Council to build new office on Liskeard car park in Cornwall

The council had applied for planning permission to build a three- and two-storey linked building, providing accommodation for its own offices, Department for Work and Pensions, adult day services, a family hub and adult education and other departments on Cornwall Council-owned land at the Cattle Market car park on Fairport Road, Liskeard.

Almost 30 members of the public opposed the proposals on the council’s website. The scheme is part of a number of projects forming part of a wider regeneration of the former Liskeard Cattle Market.

A planning report stated: “The current proposal mainly seeks to locate customer facing departments within the building, together with a small amount of back‐office space. The building (is) a modern addition to the area and follows a similar design approach to The Workshed [a purpose-built digital and creative hub], which would help to tie the two developments together and begin to create a sense of place at the Cattle Market.”

A meeting of the east area planning committee at Bodmin on Monday heard that benefits included it being a “significant investment” in Liskeard, bringing public services into the town centre and helping to maintain and improve footfall to local shops, business and services.

However, councillors heard that the loss of parking provision during construction, the “overbearing impact” on neighbouring homes and a failure to include any “meaningful” pedestrian improvements weighed against the application. There were also concerns raised that plans for a misting system to tackle fires had been removed from the application.

The meeting heard that of 160 standard bays, 52 would be lost while construction takes place. Cllr Andrew Long continually asked officers if an impact assessment had been carried out to see if the loss of spaces would have a detrimental effect on shoppers’ parking needs in the struggling town. No such survey had taken place.

The Cattle Market car park ijn Liskeard which will be home to a new Cornwall Council hub building

Division member Cllr Jane Pascoe said: “The employment opportunities and economic benefits the proposal will provide, by relocating council jobs into the heart of the town centre, may outweigh my concerns that the overbearing building will not sit in harmony with other historic buildings within the setting.

"Whilst it is noted that there is no net‐loss of car parking in the Cattle Market site, it is clear additional demand will be placed on those spaces and a mechanism to secure sufficient spaces in the town centre will be of paramount importance to the viability and vitality of the town. Details of the re‐purposing of the former Cornwall Council Luxstowe offices, and all other vacated council office buildings, should be established before construction commences.”

The meeting heard that Liskeard Town Council supported the application although it noted and shared some of the concerns about the loss of car parking.

Cllr John Fitter said he would voted against the proposals: “In a way we are being made to make a decision without hearing of any alternatives.” He asked why a plant room had been removed from the plans and asked if it included a fire suppressant system. The project’s architect Emma Hosking verified that “in layman’s terms” the misting system which had been removed from the plans was a fire suppressant system.

Cllr Fitter responded that he was amazed to hear that a system to tackle fires had been removed but “I can only assume it’s being driven by money”.

The committee agreed to approve the application subject to a ‘travel plan’ looking at a sustainable travel option and parking strategy for staff who would use the new building.

The hub building is part of a project by Cornwall Council to save money and lessen its carbon footprint by getting rid of inefficient buildings in its estate to be replaced by integrated hubs in town centres. As part of the plans, the council hopes to close one of its main offices at Dolcoath, Camborne.