Following the Cornwall Council Strategic Planning Committee’s decision to recommend Listed Building Consent be approved for Option A.

The Penzance Business Network remains extremely concerned that Route Partnership could still fail to gain the final consents it requires before the Department for Transport and Convergence funds are released for the IoS Link Project.

The main problems still lie with the Penzance Passenger & Freight Terminal building and the related sea defences works proposed for the grade II listed South Pier.

Cornwall Council’s Strategic Planning Committee were minded, on the 8^th March 2010, to recommend that the Secretary of State grants listed building consent for the Option A scheme.  However, there is a great deal of opposition to this from advisory bodies such as English Heritage, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, and from the Penzance Town Council, local opposition groups and individuals.

Cornwall Council is both the Applicant for Option A, and the Local Planning Authority responsible for assessing the Application.  Given this, the decision by the Strategic Planning Committee to reverse its previous refusal of listed building consent (from the 14^th December 2009) guarantees very close scrutiny of the whole planning process by the Government Office for the West Midlands, who will now assess the application as a whole.

There is no certainty that Option A will gain its listed building consent.  If it does not, then Route Partnership and Cornwall Council need a back-up plan.

More importantly, Penzance needs a back-up plan, as we are told by Cornwall Council that Option A is the only scheme it will consider for Penzance, and that if it fails the Link will go to Falmouth.

In the light of this, PzBN is continuing to prepare a viable alternative, Option PZ, that will

• satisfy and improve upon the operational needs of the IoS Ferry Link Terminal
• respect and value the listed South Pier as the center of the historic waterfront and harbour, thus defusing the key objections of the various advisory bodies
• actively contribute to business and economic activity within the town
• actively contribute to real regeneration in the area, making best use of the various funding opportunities now availably
• provide a solution that will be acceptable to the majority of people and businesses in Penzance, and defuse the objections of most of the local opposition groups and individuals.

To this end, PzBN have submitted a Pre Planning Application to the Cornwall Council Planning Department - reference number: pre-10-0146.  The case officers are Mathew Williams and Dave Slatter. The senior planning officer is Nicola Stinson.  The Department can be contacted on 01209 614487.

Details of the pre planning application will soon be available to download from the PzBN website.  We will be discussing our proposal with the various concerned advisory bodies.   PzBN also welcomes constructive discussion with Route Partnership, Cornwall Council, Penzance Town Council, local businesses and organisations within the town, and of course concerned individuals.

Penzance Business Network