Plans to breathe new life into an old wind farm plus proposals for new homes are among the latest planning applications submitted to Cornwall Council.

Every week more than 100 applications are validated by Cornwall Council and we have selected some of the more interesting proposals.

All planning applications submitted to the council have to be validated and are available for inspection by the public. Anyone is also allowed to submit comments about the applications – whether in support or objection.

The majority of applications are decided by planning officers at the council under delegated powers. However, some applications will go before elected councillors who sit on planning committees. No dates have been set for when the planning applications below will be determined. They can be viewed by going to the planning portal on Cornwall Council’s website.

Repowering an old wind farm

An application has been submitted to repower and extend Cold Northcott Windfarm at Laneast, near Launceston, to include the removal of all the existing wind turbines and to replace them with up to 22 new turbines.

A planning statement suggests, if permitted, the development is likely to be a critical contributor in Cornwall Council’s policy ambition to achieve a 100% renewable electricity supply by 2030.

Efforts were made by EDF, the previous owner of the windfarm, to explore the repowering of the site. A ‘scoping opinion’ request was submitted in 2013 for a large scale repowering of Cold Northcott Wind Farm for wind turbines around 100 metres to tip. In 2015 a planning performance agreement was entered into by EDF for an unspecified number of large wind turbines to repower the site. The plans stalled and the windfarm later came under the ownership of the new applicant, WMW Consultants Ltd.

With the original wind turbines being from a different era, with outdated and unreliable technology which is increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain, the applicant engaged with Cornwall Council to explore the options to repower the site. The discussions met with officer support and led to an application to vary the original consent to allow three-bladed rotors in place of the original two-bladed turbines. The applicant has to date repowered two of the original turbine locations with three-bladed rotors.

The applicant is seeking to maximise the renewable electricity production of the windfarm at Cold Northcott, by removing the existing and approved wind turbines and replacing them with 22 larger scale wind turbines.

The chosen model is an EWT at 84 metres to hub height and 61 metres rotor (totalling 114.5 metres to tip). A number of EWT turbines can be seen within the wider area, in particular at Lower Tregeen, Otterham and Piper’s Pool.

These wind turbines have sophisticated operational capabilities, including feathering the blades to mitigate noise or shadow flicker to ensure compliance with strict amenity protections at all times.

A supporting statement claims the site is rare in Cornwall in that it has both a very good wind resource and a substantial grid connection available via the existing connection and underground cabling to Otterham.

It adds that being one of the most sparsely populated areas of Cornwall, there are very few sensitive issues. “The development would result in a substantial and significant increase in renewable energy generation without a net increase in the number of wind turbines,” according to the applicant.

For more details see PA23/02727: https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=RSE355FGKFL00&activeTab=summary

Mix of housing and retail units

Proposals have been submitted for two retail units with four residential apartments above on land on the edge of Treloggan Industrial Estate, Newquay. The application area has become disconnected from the overall industrial site and the plan would bridge the gap between the adjacent industrial sites and houses located to the west.

The three-storey developments would include two ground floor units to be run as a shop or café with four two-bedroom apartments above with six parking. A planning statement says the proposal will offer a more efficient use of what is currently undeveloped land and will help invigorate the wider area, both visually and economically.

For more details see PA23/09326 https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=S4837MFGIJX00&activeTab=summary

Proposal for new homes near business centre

An application for permission in principle has been submitted for five detached houses on land north of Penstraze Business Centre near Chacewater.

A planning statement says: “There is adequate room within the site for five dwellings which will not impact on neighbouring properties nor their amenity space. The site has established vegetated boundaries which would further reduce any visibility to the site. Any design would seek to enhance the planting and boundaries within the site and encourage biodiversity with a full landscaping scheme.”

For more details see PA23/08095 https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=S23TG6FG21Q00&activeTab=summary

Dog boarding kennel plan

The owners of Sea View Farm, ay Old Portreath Road, Sparnon Gate, near Redruth have applied to demolish an agricultural building and replace it with a dog boarding kennel. The applicants already run a successful dog boarding, walking and exercising business, which was started five years ago and employs three members of staff.

For more details see PA23/06769 https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=RZHN2PFGKIR00&activeTab=summary