st ives area neighbourhood development plan 2015 …...good practice guide for local heritage...

St Ives Area

Neighbourhood Development

Plan 2015 – 2030

EVIDENCE BASE

Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended)

Submission Date March 2015

St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan Proposal

by the

St Ives Area Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, on behalf of St Ives Town Council

(Qualifying Body)

St Ives Area NDP: Evidence Base

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Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 9

1. CULTURE & HERITAGE.............................................................................................. 14

1.1 Good Practice Guide for Local Heritage Listing ......................................... 14

1.2 Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site management plan 2013 - 2018 ............................................................................... 14

1.3 Economy and Culture Strategy 2013 - 2020 ............................................. 15

1.4 St Ives Action Plan ................................................................................................ 15

1.5 Steeple Wood & Trelyon Downs, St Ives: An archaeological & geotechnical assessment ........................................................................................... 16

1.6 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Urban Survey: Historic characterisation for regeneration - St Ives ................................................................................................. 16

1.7 St Ives Area Market and Coastal Towns Initiative: Community Strategic Plan .................................................................................................................. 18

1.8 Action Plan for Carbis Bay ................................................................................. 19

1.9 List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of St Ives, Cornwall .................................................................................... 21

2. LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................... 22

2.1 Seaside towns in the age of austerity ........................................................... 22

2.2 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Employment and Skills Strategy 2012-2020 ................................................................................................................................... 22

2.3 Cornwall Council Economy and Culture Strategy 2013-2020 .............. 24

2.4 Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-2028: Shaping Cornwall’s Future ................................................................................................................................ 26

2.5 Cornwall Retail Study .......................................................................................... 26





2.10 Cornwall Towns 2012: Tourism Volume and Value Estimates .......... 45

3. HOUSING ....................................................................................................................... 47

3.1 Office for National Statistics ............................................................................. 47



3.4 Cornwall Council Community Intelligence Team, 2009 data ............... 51


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3.5 A Place in the Country: the cost of Second Homes ................................. 52

3.6 Housing Standards Review: Consultation .................................................... 55

3.7 Hayle and St Ives Community Network Area Discussion Paper - Preferred Approach ....................................................................................................... 55

3.8 Housing Growth & Distribution: Housing Growth Pre Submission Version ............................................................................................................................... 56

3.9 Settlement Review ................................................................................................ 57

4. OPEN SPACES .............................................................................................................. 58

4.1 National Character Area profile 156 West Penwith (NE 371) .............. 58

4.2 A Green Infrastructure Strategy for Cornwall: A Strategic Framework ....................................................................................................................... 59

4.3 Cornwall Infrastructure Needs Assessment: Hayle & St Ives Schedule ........................................................................................................................... 61

4.4 Open space strategy for larger towns in Cornwall: Recommendations for Future Provision Standards .......................................... 62

4.5 Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2011-2016 ....................................................................................................................... 66

4.6 Hayle & St Ives Historic Environment Character ...................................... 67




4.10 Action Plan for Carbis Bay ............................................................................... 72

4.11 Ambient Air Quality Directive ......................................................................... 74

4.12 Open Space, Sports and Recreation Facilities Audit ............................. 74

4.13 Open Spaces Audit- using typologies recommended in PPG17 ........ 75

5. WELLBEING, SPORTS & LEISURE ........................................................................ 88

5.1 Sport England ......................................................................................................... 88

5.2 Cornwall Design Guide ..................................................................................... 90

5.3 Planning Future Cornwall: Growth Factors Hayle and St Ives Community Network Area .......................................................................................... 92


5.5 Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-2028: Shaping Cornwall’s Future ................................................................................................................................ 93



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6. TRANSPORT .................................................................................................................. 96

6.1 Office for National Statistics ............................................................................. 96

6.2 Department of Transport ................................................................................... 96

6.3 Road Traffic Flows - A3074 Lelant .................................................................. 97


6.5 Connecting Cornwall: 2030. Moving Towards a Green Peninsular .. 101

6.6 Cornwall Retail Study ........................................................................................ 101

6.7 Cornwall Infrastructure Needs Assessment: Hayle & St Ives Schedule ......................................................................................................................... 102

6.8 St Ives Action Plan .............................................................................................. 104

6.9 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Urban Survey: Historic characterisation for regeneration - St Ives ............................................................................................... 106

6.10 St Ives Area Market and Coastal Towns Initiative: Community Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................ 106

6.11 Action Plan for Carbis Bay ............................................................................. 109

6.12 St Ives Traffic Plan ....................................................................................... 113

7. BUILT ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................. 114

7.1 Cornwall Design Guide ...................................................................................... 114

7.2 Hayle & St Ives Historic Environment Character .................................... 116

Cornwall Council, 2011 ............................................................................................. 116

7.3 Halsetown Conservation Area Statement .................................................. 117

7.4 St Ives Action Plan .............................................................................................. 119

7.5 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Urban Survey: Historic characterisation for regeneration - St Ives ............................................................................................... 120

7.6 St Ives Area Market and Coastal Towns Initiative: Community Strategic Plan ................................................................................................................ 121

7.7 Shop Fronts: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers ................................... 122

7.8 Conservation Areas: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers .................... 123


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Structure of the Evidence Base Report

The St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) policies are grouped under

topic headings which are as follows:

Culture and Heritage,

Local Economic Development,

Housing,

Open Spaces,

Wellbeing, Sport and Leisure,

Transport,

Built Environment.

For each of the above topics the evidence base is provided, consisting of relevant

extracts from national documentation and statistics, followed by sections from Cornwall

Council strategic documents and references to various documents which have been

produced as a result of studies carried out in the past on issues affecting the St Ives

area. These are as follows:

Good Practice Guide for Local Heritage Listing. English Heritage, 2012

Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site management

plan: 2013 – 2018. Cornish Mining World Heritage, 2013

Cornwall Council Economy and Culture Strategy 2013 – 2020. Cornwall Council,

September 2013

St Ives Action Plan. Civic Trust Regeneration Unit and Poynton Bradbury Wynter,

March 1997

Steeple Wood & Trelyon Downs: An Archaeological & Geotechnical Assessment,

Cornwall Archaeological Unit. Cornwall Council, 1997

Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Urban Survey: Historic characterisation for regeneration.

Kate Newell Cornwall Council Historic Environment Service, September 2005

St Ives Area Market and Coastal Towns Initiative 2025: Community Strategic

Plan. St Ives MCTI Steering Group, October 2006

Action Plan for Carbis Bay. Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID),

Penwith District Council Local Development Framework, April 2007

List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest: Borough of St Ives.

Cornwall. Department of the Environment, 1970

Seaside Towns in the Age of Austerity. Sheffield Hallam University, 2012

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Employment and Skills Strategy 2012-2020. Cornwall

and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, 2012

Economy and Culture Strategy 2013-2020. Cornwall Council, September 2013


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Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-2028: Shaping Cornwall’s Future. Cornwall

Strategy Partnership, Autumn 2008

Cornwall Retail Study. Cornwall Council, November 2011

Office for National Statistics (ONS): census data 2001, 2011; Annual Survey of

Hours and Earnings, 2013

Cornwall Council Community Intelligence Team, 2009 data

A Place in the Country: the cost of Second Homes. Exeter University and

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Ongoing research

Settlement Review. Penwith District Council, Planning and Development

Department, 1981

National Character Area Profile 156 West Penwith (NE371). Natural England, 2012

Housing Standards Review. Department for Communities and Local Government,

August 2013

Hayle and St Ives Community Network Area Discussion Paper. Cornwall Council,

December 2011

Housing Growth and Distribution: Housing Growth Pre-Submission Version.

Cornwall Council, March 2013

A Green Infrastructure Strategy for Cornwall: A Strategic Framework. Transport,

Waste and Environment, Cornwall Council, 2012

Cornwall Infrastructure Needs Assessment: Hayle and St Ives Schedule. Future

Cornwall, Cornwall Council, March 2014

Open Space Strategy for Larger Towns in Cornwall: Recommendations for Future

Provision Standards. Economy, Enterprise and Environment Directorate, Cornwall

Council; July 2014

Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2011-2016.

Cornwall AONB Partnership, Adopted by Cornwall Council 16 January 2011

Hayle and St Ives Historic Environment Character. Cornwall Council, 2011

Ambient Air Quality Directive. European Union, 2008

Open Space, Sports and Recreation Facilities Audit. Penwith District Council, April

2008

Sport England - https://www.sportengland.org/research/

Cornwall Design Guide. Cornwall Council, 2012

Planning Future Cornwall: Growth Factors, Hayle and St Ives Community Network

Area. Cornwall Local Development Framework, Cornwall Council, February 2013

Department of Transport -

https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/businesses/transport-planning-and-

infrastructure

Cornwall Council Road Traffic Flow Analysis, A3074 Lelant, 2012

https://www.sportengland.org/research/

https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/businesses/transport-planning-and-infrastructure



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Connecting Cornwall 2030: Moving Towards a Greener Peninsular. Cornwall

Council, March 2011

St Ives Traffic Plan. St Ives Traffic Plan Consultative Committee for St Ives Town

Council, 1996

Halstetown Conservation Area Statement. Penwith District Council, 1992

Shop Fronts: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers. Penwith District Council, April

2005

Conservation Areas: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers. Penwith District Council,

March 2005

In addition to the results of our recent community consultations and surveys, these

documents have broadened our understanding of the area and its communities and

provided valuable background and context for the preparation of the St Ives Area

Neighbourhood Development Plan.


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Introduction

Section 2 of St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) tells the ‘story of St

Ives’ - the history and present day socio-economic circumstances, the natural setting

and historic built environment of the area and the challenges that are prevalent for its

current communities and businesses. This evidence base expands on that story as told

through studies, strategic documents and statistics for the NDP area. It is a factual

document and as such, evidence is presented in its raw state, with analysis only for

issues that are particularly pertinent for the area and St Ives Area NDP policy intent.

Population: Key Facts

in 2011 the population of the St Ives Neighbourhood Plan area (which includes Carbis

Bay, Lelant and Halsetown) was 11,435, compared with 11,165 in 2001 - an increase

of 270 residents (2.4%);

• the St Ives area accounts for about 0.5% of Cornwall by area (1,746 hectares);

• there was a population density of 24.7 persons per hectare in St Ives North ward, 2.2

persons/ha in St Ives South and 5.2 persons/ha in Lelant and Carbis Bay, compared

to the Cornwall average of 1.5 persons per hectare (Note: St Ives North ward is now

West ward; St Ives South ward is now East ward);

• based on trends experienced up to 2008 the population could increase by around

1,250 (11%) between 2010 and 2030;

• population by age in the St Ives area comprises 14.4% aged 0-15; 59.6% aged 16-

64 and 26.1% aged 65 plus compared to 16.9%, 61.5% and 21.7% respectively

across Cornwall1;

• in St Ives North 11.1% of residents were recorded as having limited activity; in St

Ives South 11.3%; in Carbis Bay and Lelant 11.6%. This is slightly higher than the

Conrwall average of 10%. The figures for those with long-term sickness or disability

were 4.9% in St Ives North, 3.8% in St Ives South, 3.3% in Carbis Bay and Lelant,

whereas the Cornwall average was 4.4%.

Housing Need: Key Facts

• At the time of writing 234 people on the Home Choice Housing Register (waiting list)

that are classed as in housing need (Bands A-D) have identified the St Ives area as

their preferred location. Another 332 people (Band E) have expressed a desire to

live in this area and are also recorded in the Register. Approximately 54 affordable

1 There is estimated to be good balance in the population between the proportion of working age people & the

more dependent younger & older age groups. Census 2011 data suggests that there is a larger proportion of

people in the older age groups.


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homes are required each year to meet the need in the St Ives area – 0.79% of

households compared to 0.65% of households across Cornwall;

• Some neighbourhoods in the area come within the 20% most deprived areas in

England for five of the government’s indices of multiple deprivation and are eligible

for European funding reserved for the poorest 20% of the European population.

Access to housing and the quality of indoor living environments are the main

concerns. Child poverty is an issue in four neighbourhood areas, and social housing

levels in higher Stennack Nanjivey and Hellesvean, Halsetown and Penbeagle area

are high – 39% and 31% respectively. In order to sustain healthy, residential

communities, housing must be made more affordable to people on average local

incomes.

Housing Supply: Key Facts

A total of 6,891 dwellings in 2011;

• 16.2% increase in dwelling numbers from a total of 5,929 in 2001 to 6,891 in 2011 –

equating to 96 new dwellings per annum;

• St Ives and Carbis Bay has a growth target of at least 1,000 dwellings to be built

between 2010 and 2030. 369 dwellings were completed between 2010 and 2014,

with 106 under construction and 223 with unimplemented planning consent leaving

the remainder of 303 dwellings to be provided to 2030;

• the surrounding rural area of the Hayle and St Ives CNA, which includes Lelant and

Halsetown, has been allocated a target of up to 350 dwellings in order to meet local

needs housing and to support existing rural communities and facilities. 126 dwellings

were completed between 2010 and 2014, with 15 under construction and 89 with

unimplemented planning consent leaving the remainder of 120 dwellings to be

provided to 2030. Potential land identified for development and past development

rates suggest this could be accommodated;

about 2.0% of dwellings were registered as empty properties - Cornwall average

1.6% (2012) and 11.5% of properties were registered as second homes – Cornwall

average 5.4%. These figures indicate that a higher proportion than on average of

dwellings in the area are vacant;

25% of housing in the St Ives area has no full time resident (48% in town centre &

Island LSOA); second homes alone account for 17.5% of the overall housing in the

area (Cornwall average is 6%);

99 new dwellings were completed in the St Ives area in 2013-2014, lifting the

average rate of new building to 92 dwellings per year between 2010 and 2014. This

rate of new house construction equates to a 1.3% annual increase in housing stock in

recent times and is 50 percentage points higher than the average increase across


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Cornwall of 0.86% per annum. The rate of new house construction will need to

increase in some areas of Cornwall in order to achieve the target rate of a 0.9%

annual increase in the housing stock required to reach the target of building 47,500

new houses by 2030.

There is a great deal of competition between permanent and temporary residents for

accommodation in the area, and the growth figure chosen will need to accommodate this

level of competition to ensure local residents can access suitable housing.

Growth is required to enable the delivery of local needs and affordable housing and, as

grant support reduces, there will be a greater reliance on affordable homes being cross

subsidised as part of larger open market developments. The number of affordable

homes that can be provided will be related to the number of total homes developed.

High growth levels will enable the delivery of high numbers of affordable homes.

Planning for employment is required alongside the development of new housing and

growth should encourage and promote employment opportunities related to the marine

renewable sector. Growth could exacerbate congestion in St Ives town & result in

unacceptable levels of traffic passing through Lelant village unless measures are put in

place to help alleviate the issues.

Cornwall Economy: Key Facts

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has a GDP which is 72% of the European average (2009

figures). Despite the £86 million annual visitor spend in St Ives, the disadvantages of

the wider area's economy have been reflected by various designations which attract

financial assistance from both the UK Government and the European Commission.

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly qualified for assistance through the European 'Objective

One' designation in 1999 and have been in receipt of European Convergence structural

funding programmes (ERDF) and European Social Funds (ESF) that are ring fenced for

the area.

Utilities & Flood Risk: Key facts

a) Water Supply: Residents in the St Ives & Carbis Bay area fall under the

Colliford Strategic Supply Area. Generally, the proposed levels of growth are able

to be accommodated within existing clean water supply systems.

b) Sewage: Waste water treatment works for St Ives & Carbis Bay are located

outside of the town at Hayle. There are a number of hydraulic overloads already

in existence in the St Ives & Carbis Bay area, together with some saline


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infiltration issues. Sewers drain to Hayle (main works) and the level of growth

proposed in the area would mean some upgrading at these works but there is

room to accommodate this.

c) Gas: Properties in St Ives & Carbis Bay have access to a mains gas supply

network. Information is currently unavailable on how the proposed levels of

growth will impact on gas supply, and further work is underway.

d) Electricity: A 11kV/33kV electricity sub-stations currently serves St Ives &

Carbis Bay and this is connected via a 33kV line to the 33kV/132kV substation at

Hayle which is on the 132kV ring circuit below Indian Queens. This 132kV ring

circuit is recognised as requiring replacement and upgrade to a 400kV within the

next ten years. Information is currently unavailable on how the proposed levels of

growth will impact on electricity supply. The Council is also working on exploring

opportunities to deliver decentralised renewable or low carbon energy sources to

both existing and proposed developments. Large proposals in St Ives and Carbis

Bay will be considered within this context.

e) Drainage and Flood Risk & Mitigation: In terms of drainage, flood risk &

mitigation, the following studies/works are proposed or planned:

• Sea wall improvements at Pednolva Walk and Wharf Road

• Sloop slipway demountable flood defences

• UDS scheme in a car park at St Ives

• Stennack Stream

The Council is continuing to work with the Environment Agency and South West

Water to further assess what flood risk mitigation, surface water drainage, foul

drainage and treatment infrastructure would be required.

Landscape and open spaces: Key Facts

The open spaces in the town of St Ives interact with the built environment in a way that

reflects its diverse history as a principal Cornish fishing town as well as its continuing

role in art and tourism. These open spaces include small fields and pockets of woodland,

green corridors and gardens in addition to public and private amenities. Dotted around

the town, they constitute breaks in the built environment that create a harmonious

appearance with many attractive aspects and vistas. As well as bringing the countryside

into the town, this helps to provide many enjoyable walks and amenity areas within and

around St Ives.


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In Lelant the main part of the pre-1920 settlement is a Conservation Area and subject to

Article 4 Direction, and the land within this boundary has largely been utilised for

residential development. There is relatively little open or green amenity space within the

settlement boundary today. The village does not have a park or children’s play area,

however it does have the benefit of a football club and pitch, a golf club and course on

the edge of the settlement, wooded areas and of being surrounded by a Site of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the seaward side and inland by two areas with the

designation of Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).

From a predominantly open landscape at the beginning of the 20th century Carbis Bay

has developed into a largely built up area with relatively little provision of open or green

space within the settlement boundary. It has two public gardens and two amenity green

spaces with children’s play areas but the provision of public amenity green/open space is

low relative to the scale of the settlement.

Halsetown is a unique village being the first recorded planned settlement in Cornwall.

The original part of the settlement, founded in 1830, consists of a series of detached and

semi-detached dwellings with large gardens and paddocks built along a grid-iron pattern.

Although there has been some in-fill and development along the main road, the essential

open layout of the village and the setting in the wider landscape has been largely

preserved through planning policy and the designation of a Conservation Area covering

the settlement and some of the adjacent fields against which the village can be viewed,

Article 4 Direction covering the built-up areas. The village has a football pitch and the

benefit of a large tourist caravan and camping site on the outskirts but there is little

other provision of public amenity open/green spaces.

The greatest challenge for St Ives Area NDP is the need to safeguard the

special character and local distinctiveness of the landscape and the town and

villages while advancing economic prosperity and carefully meeting the needs

of the present population. In this task, open spaces interact closely with the

built environment. The evidence gathered and outlined here has helped to form

policies that respond to the challenge.


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1. CULTURE & HERITAGE

Detailed references to relevant sections of the National Planning Policy Framework, the

emerging Cornwall Local Plan and Saved Penwith Local Plan policies can be found in the

Basic Conditions Statement.

1.1 Good Practice Guide for Local Heritage Listing

English Heritage, May 2012

.... Local heritage lists play an essential role in building and reinforcing a sense of local

identity and distinctiveness in the historic environment. They provide a unique

opportunity for communities, in partnership with local authorities, to identify heritage

assets that they wish to protect at the local level. At its heart, local heritage listing

provides an opportunity for communities to have their views on local heritage heard. It

recognises the importance we place on the historic environment extends beyond the

confines of the planning system to recognise those community-based values that

contribute to our sense of place.

Local heritage listing and the planning system

The Good Practice Guide to Local Heritage Lists describes how local heritage lists, backed

by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), can help to recognise local

distinctiveness and character to ensure these values are taken into account when

changes affecting the historic environment are proposed.

1.2 Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage

Site management plan 2013 - 20182

Cornish Mining World Heritage, 2013

6.1 Protection

Policy P3: Planning authorities will ensure that new development protects, conserves and

enhances the Site and its setting.

Policy P6: Local authorities and other agencies will make full use of the powers available

to them for the protection and conservation of the Site.

2 Lelant Quay is part of the Hayle World Heritage Site (A2)


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Policy P8: Developments outside the Site that will adversely affect its Outstanding

Universal Value will be resisted.

6.2 Conservation and Enhancement

Policy C2: New development will add to the quality and distinctiveness of the Site by

being of high quality design and respectful of setting.

Policy C5: Landscape, nature conservation and agrienvironment management regimes

will have regard for the authenticity and values of the Site.

Policy C6: The conservation and continuing maintenance of the historic fabric of the Site

will be undertaken to the highest standards to ensure authenticity and integrity.

Policy C7: The historic character and distinctiveness of the Cornwall and West Devon

mining landscape will be maintained.

Policy C8: Traditional materials and skills will be encouraged in the maintenance of the

authentic historic fabric within the Site.

Policy C9: Where the historic fabric within the Site has been lost or compromised

through non-authentic materials, inappropriate details and poor workmanship, historic

character and detail will be reintroduced wherever and whenever possible.

1.3 Economy and Culture Strategy 2013 - 2020

Cornwall Council, September 2013

Creativity and cultural heritage

Grow high quality creative and cultural industries

Achieve cultural distinction and be recognised as a leading rural region in this area

Achieve excellent community and social engagement

1.4 St Ives Action Plan

Civic Trust Regeneration Unit and Poynton Bradbury Wynter, March 1997

Policy 16: Support the local arts community

.... Over the past century, local artists with international renown have become another

important asset of St Ives. They can also be regarded as a significant export industry...

There is a real danger that all artist's studios and workshops not already owned by a

charitable trust will be at risk from commercial forces to convert them into holiday

accommodation. That must be resisted for two prime reasons: first the Downalong area


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already consists of holiday accommodation, guest houses and galleries. For its own

vitality, year round residents, workshops and local shops must be protected.

1.5 Steeple Wood & Trelyon Downs, St Ives: An archaeological

& geotechnical assessment

[Site name: STEEPLE WOOD AND TRELYON DOWNS, ST IVES Study area: 9.04 ha

Investigation type: Desk-based District: Penwith Monument: Ngr: SW51833892 Parish:

St. Ives, St Ives, Uny Lelant Postcode: TR262PW]

Cornwall Archaeological Unit Cornwall Council, 1997

Records for mining activity in this area are poor, scant and confusing, the only named

mining operations within the woods being Wheal King and St Aubyn Tregenna

documented being at work here in the early years of the 19th century. To the south of

the road .... a broad strip of land is occupied by a series of openworks and shallow

mining features (in part Wheal Venture, elsewhere mines being developed in Lower,

Middle and Higher Tregenna Bounds) whose lodes were reworked by means of a number

of shafts as Trelyon Consols during the 19th century. ....

It is probable that the cottages and gardens on the north side of Steeple Lane were

carved out from a large pre-existing sub-oval enclosure, in a form similar to that

surrounding Cock Hill to the south (the hilltop surmounted by Knill's monument), both of

which are marked out by an unusual number of boundary stones, suggesting that the

identification of the limits of the land so demarcated were particularly important.

1.6 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Urban Survey: Historic

characterisation for regeneration - St Ives

Kate Newell, Cornwall Council Historic Environment Service, September 2005

Historical development

....The fishing industry was a mainstay of the town's economy down to the 20th century,

with the lengthy sandy beaches providing perfect landing places for the traditional

pilchard seining; the enormous shoals gathering in St Ives Bay. .... The harbour import

and export trade stimulated numerous associated industries within the town, such as

boat building, net and sail making, fish processing and trading. .... the fishing companies

had industrial-sized cellars from which they operated .... generally large rectangular

structures with a central courtyard open to the sky.


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....Mining was also important in the development and character of the town, with mines

located within the urban area itself and in the nearby hinterlands. Much of the trading

through the harbour was mine-related. .... In 1832 a new mining settlement was

created 3 km to the south west of St Ives named Halsetown after its creator James

Halse, the MP for St Ives.

.... The impact mining money had on the town has not yet been fully explored, but it

probably funded much of the 19th century civic rebuilding of the town.... for example at

High Street, Tregenna Place and Tregenna Hill and the boom in terrace development ....

Artist colony

.... The first gallery for exhibitions was Lanham’s opened in 1887 and the St Ives Artists

Club (now the St Ives Arts Club) originates from this period.

It was the St Ives Modernist period which brought the town international recognition. ...

Penwith Society of Arts, established in 1949, encouraged modernist concepts, sculptors

and craftsmen and women. ....

The artists recorded in their work the character of the town during the decline of the

fishing economy. But they also went some way towards preserving the physical fabric of

the fishing industry. Looking for cheap lodgings and studio space they often lived with

fishing families and later moved into disused fish cellars, saving for some period the built

fabric and build type. Elsewhere cellars were being demolished wholesale, as in other

Cornish fishing settlements.

As well as painting, the town also attracted other artistic ventures including the fine

ceramics established in the 1920s by Bernard Leach with Shoji Hamada in workshops on

the Stennack which survive today. Crysede, the textile art manufactory, also operated

from the town after the company’s 1925 move from Newlyn to a former fish cellar on the

Island (today St Nicholas Court). ....

20th century

The early 20th century saw continued decline of fishing and the end of the mining

economy of the town.... Tate St Ives .... has had a dramatic effect on the town, carving

out a niche in the cultural tourism of the county and raising the profile of the town at a

national level.


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1.7 St Ives Area Market and Coastal Towns Initiative:

Community Strategic Plan

St Ives MCTI Steering Group, October 2006

Theme 3: the Arts and Culture in St Ives

.... Tate St Ives has made a major contribution to the artistic & cultural life of St Ives

and to the tourism economy. It is enjoyed by unprecedented numbers and is a venue of

international significance. We recognise that the heritage that the Tate St Ives

celebrates is today very much in evidence as a booming arts industry, which also

requires support & promotion.

St Ives also has a strong cultural heritage in literature, in music, in festivals and

celebrations, and more recently in performance. St Ives is achieving substantial

recognition through our festivals, particularly the September Festival, Feast Day,

Harbour Day, Knill Ceremony, May Day and, increasingly, New Year's Eve celebrations.

Such events do much to widen the tourist season and the tourism ‘offer’ and provide an

ideal opportunity to develop a year-round programme of festival and concerts to meet

the expanding demands of the tourism industry and the social and cultural need sof the

wider community.

Our objective is to support and promote the wider arts industries and to develop an

expanded programme of festivals, events and concerts in order to consolidate St Ives as

an artistic and cultural venue of international significance.

Priority project .... to ensure a thriving cultural life for both visitors & the community.

Support mechanisms include:

Setting up a website to promote the arts and to provide information on assistance to

arts companies, the marketing of arts products and St Ives as an arts location

Setting up an arts forum where organisations and practitioners can share information

and ideas

Appointment of an Arts Development Officer

Support the refurbishment of St Ives Theatre

Support the long-term future of St Ives Archive Study Centre


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1.8 Action Plan for Carbis Bay

Residents Against Inappropriate Development, Penwith District Council Local

Development Framework, April 2007

Culture & heritage (by Dr. Wendy Smaridge)

3. This area of West Cornwall was initially predominantly agricultural. Several farms

from the time are still here, many with converted farm buildings. Extensive mining

activity occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries (see books by Cyril Noall). Tin, copper

and other minerals were extracted from deep mines with some surface beach workings.

These provided employment and a livelihood for many workers. Providence Mines

employed 500 persons as late as 1870, 300 underground. Seine fishing was another

source of employment. Workers’ granite homes still remain in this area and fit in well

with the nature of the land. By the late 1870s, most mining had ceased. The landscape

was scarred with spoil heaps, shafts and rough ground around the originally successful

Providence Mines regions.

4. Fortunately the coast had not been too disturbed (in spite of earlier beach workings).

The sea and coast retained much of its natural beauty, the air was clean and vegetation

began to colonise the mining areas. The beach provided safe bathing and glorious soft

sand. This natural advantage and the arrival of the GWR branch rail line to St Ives in

1877 brought day visitors to the newly emerging Picnic Grounds and Tea Gardens. The

Ashton's, Williams’ and especially Payne's Picnic grounds were famous throughout the

county. In July 1881, 1500 Sunday School children and their teachers were entertained

here. Part of the original Ashton's buildings remain at Hawke’s Point. A part of Williams’

building has been incorporated in a new development near the viaduct. The main site of

the demolished Payne's Picnic Grounds houses the Cottage Hotel in the valley. Hendra’s

Hotel was built in 1887 to be followed by the arrival of the Carbis Bay Hotel on the beach

in 1894. Tourism began to be a great source of employment.

5. From the 1890s onwards wealthy families from Camborne with mining connections,

built large imposing residences here, mainly overlooking the beach. Captain Josiah

Thomas of Dolcoath mine lived in The Nest (now Cliff Cottage). Various members of the

Holman mining family lived in Porthrepta, Carrack Gladden, Headlands, Bosihan (St Uny)

and The Croft (now the Old Vicarage). Most were later converted into hotels and then

demolished initially in the 1980s, some more recently. One is still a private residence

and another has become a care home. Altogether we have lost Porthrepta, Carrack

Gladden, Gwel Marten, St Uny, Karenza (Cornwallis) and Hendra’s hotels. These have

been replaced by apartments, often only lived in for only part of the year. A balance


20

needs to be restored with no further stress on creating the large part-time abodes.

Please! No more large apartment blocks.

6. We still have in Carbis Bay many more humble dwellings, built with local granite

(now scarce), once used as miners’ or farm workers’ homes. Many are of balanced

proportions with interesting bay windows or a historic use of capping tiles and other

decorations. Some dormer windows and extensions are less beautiful! ....

7. The value of having all year round residents is further illustrated by the fact that in

the past – and we hope in the future – internationally famous artists, railway engineers

and writers have chosen Carbis Bay as their home. Some of these homes should be

protected. In Headland Road Chy-an-Kerris was the home of Barbara Hepworth and Ben

Nicholson. Peter Lanyon and other well known artists were known to have lived in Little

Parc Owles. In Porthrepta Road, Chylason was the home of the Grand Bard of the

Cornish Gorsedd, Robert Morton Nance. In Count House Lane lived Bernard Leach. The

builder of the St Ives branch line railway, Thomas Lang, lived in Tremorna, as later did a

member of the Camborne Trevithick family. Boskerris Vean in Trencrom Lane became

the home of Ewing Matheson, the writer and contributor to the St Ives Times. Herbert

Thoms lived in Trelew and then in Springfield on the main road – he was the editor of

The Cornishman for many years. These and other famous residents contributed to our

area by their involvement in the life of the community, writing plays and taking part in

the productions. Artists and writers alike advertised the special nature of our landscape

in their creative works.

8. If some of our older buildings reflect the history of our area, they will identify Carbis

Bay as having something apart from being a holiday destination to be enjoyed for a few

weeks. Of course we welcome visitors and should share with them something of our

good fortune in living here. My plea for the protection of our buildings of historical and

cultural significance is accompanied by support for the preservation of healthy trees and

green spaces. Our beach facilities need improving, we need affordable homes and

homes with reasonable rent for those not buying. Shops and school places should be

incorporated in the plans whenever any significant building occurs.

10. Recommendations

a. The building of large scale apartment blocks in Carbis Bay should cease.

b. Old granite houses and cottages should be protected.

c. With the agreement of Title Holders to property, plaques or other notices

could display the name or names of famous previous residents.


21

1.9 List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest:

Borough of St Ives, Cornwall

Department of the Environment, 1970

The principles of selection for these lists were originally drawn up by an expert

committee of architect antiquaries and historians and are still followed. All buildings built

before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition qualify for listing as do

most buildings of 1700 to 1840. Between 1840 and 1914 only buildings of definite

quality and character qualify and the selection is designed to include the principle works

of the principle architects....

In choosing buildings, particular attention is paid to:

Special value within certain types, either for architectural or planning reasons or

as illustrating social and economic history (for instance, industrial buildings,

railway stations, schools, hospital theatres, town halls, markets, exchanges,

almshouses, prisons, lock-ups, mills);

Technological innovation or virtuosity (for instance, cast iron, prefabrication or

the early use of concrete);

Association with well-known characters or events;

Group value, especially as examples of town planning (for instance, squares,

terraces or model villages).


22

2. LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


emerging Cornwall Local Plan and saved Penwith Local Plan policies can be found in the


2.1 Seaside towns in the age of austerity

Sheffield Hallam University, 2012

This study showed the employment figures for St Ives to be as follows:

Increase in employment directly supported by tourism 2006/8 to

2010/12

200 jobs

Share of employment supported by tourism 2010/12 46%

Type of employment:

retail 600 jobs

hotels & restaurants 1,900

transport, camp sites 200

recreation, amusements 200

During the study period St Ives showed a modest loss of spending to neighbouring

towns.

2.2 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Employment and Skills Strategy

2012-2020

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, 2012

Strategic Objective One - Create an aspirational and innovative enterprise

culture. We will do this by:

Inspiring businesses to reach their potential by making it easier for the business

community to access leading edge learning, enterprise skills and knowledge provision

Encouraging the development of entrepreneurial skills and opportunities for young

people

Encouraging opportunities for self employment and entrepreneurial development later

in life


23

Strategic Objective Two - Improve skills and boost employment in growing

global markets. We will do this by:

Developing a mechanism for employers to influence directly what is delivered

Establishing coherent and effective employment and skills plans for important

economic growth opportunities

Developing targeted skills programmes around major inward investment/ growth

opportunities to anticipate and exploit opportunities for new markets, alongside

targeted support for re-skilling as a result of business closures/redundancies

Encouraging increased skills attainment of employees with no or low level

qualifications

Encouraging increased participation and attainment of higher level and research /

postgraduate skills to support the growth of R & D and innovation in business

Objective - Enable those out of work to compete in the labour market. We will

do this by:

Focussing on young people (16-24) entering the labour market

Developing and supporting the delivery of a Youth Employment Strategy

Better engagement with employers in identifying employment opportunities

Better coordinating efforts to involve employers in working with young people before

they seek employment, through enhancing work experience, creating STEM or sector

ambassadors and establishing internship opportunities for example

Objective – Increase employer and individual investment in skills. We will do

this by:

Developing clear dialogue between employers and providers to facilitate new types of

delivery, new investment models for learning and effective ownership of skills

delivery by employers

Supporting the development of apprenticeships as a key investment tool in skills by

employers

Generating and promoting effective evidence showing the business benefits of up-

skilling and training employees

Ensuring that skills, training and education are part of any new economic investment

offer developed for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Encouraging individual investment in skills development to support economic and

social inclusion that tackles geographic disparities

Objective - Improve the quality of and access to information for learners. We

will do this by:


24

Liaising with the 11-19 Strategic Advisory Group and co-ordinating actions as

necessary

Creating an environment within which employers are actively engaged and providing

clear information about market changes, new areas of skill need, and development

opportunities to providers of skills and support

Providing data, intelligence and opinion on the state of the local labour market and

economy to enable evidential decision making

Ensuring that all, especially the vulnerable, are provided with the personalised

support they need to find information, advice, guidance and access to funded support

measures

Monitoring careers information advice and guidance mechanisms, encouraging them

to reflect areas of growth and demand in the economy

Providing a joined up, strategic response to developments in the employment and

skills arenas

2.3 Cornwall Council Economy and Culture Strategy 2013-2020

Cornwall Council, September 2013

The Economy and Culture Strategy is a refreshed framework for the Council’s approach

to economic development; it is a statement of the Council’s strategic intent linked to

both established and developing delivery mechanisms.

The document sets out a vision:

A confident, resilient Cornwall that is a leader in innovative business and low carbon

technologies, increasing self sufficiency for communities and individuals with a focus on

six strategic issues and the action programmes required to tackle them.

The Economy and Culture Strategy endorses the current direction of travel for our

economic interventions which set out to improve the lives and fortunes of the people of

Cornwall. Key impacts and outcomes sought from delivery of the strategy:

1. An economy that is resilient and draws upon our strengths

2. Economic progress that has positive outcomes for people and supports and

improved quality of life

3. Responsible use of the natural environment as a key economic asset

4. More local people employed in prosperous businesses

5. An increase in skill levels, offering opportunities for higher incomes

6. Business inter-connectivity supporting business and employment growth

7. A vibrant business base where business can innovate and flourish

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3624006/Economy-and-Culture-Strategy.pdf

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3624006/Economy-and-Culture-Strategy.pdf


25

8. An exemplar Council, leading in the areas of business friendly procurement,

planning, regulation and using our economic footprint to support local business

There are six issues to pursue if we are to deliver the impacts above:

Business Transformation

Provide the conditions for business-led growth

Support innovation and promote a culture of enterprise to increase productivity

Support business resilience

Cornwall Connectivity

Inter-connectivity and collaboration of businesses in Cornwall and beyond

Strategic 'gateway' opportunities which promote connectivity between Cornwall

and 'the world' to attract and retain high value business

Sustainable movement within and between places throughout the whole of

Cornwall, to support employment growth

Creativity and cultural heritage

Grow high quality creative and cultural industries

Achieve cultural distinction and be recognised as a leading rural region in this

area

Achieve excellent community and social engagement

Employment and skills

Provide leadership for the development of employment and skills

Enable growth through business skills development

Promote and enable economic inclusion across Cornwall

Encourage progression into the labour market and progression through the labour

market

Leadership

Invest in Cornwall, fighting for Cornish jobs and business

Work effectively with the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership

Use European funding effectively and strategically

Maximise the Council's capacity to promote the economy

Low Carbon Economy

Promote Cornwall as a ‘green’ exemplar region

Develop the commercial potential of cutting edge, renewable energy and

environmental technologies

Promote low carbon as a business growth catalyst

Energy efficiency for business and communities

Deliver the economic potential of a decentralised local energy market


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2.4 Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-2028: Shaping

Cornwall’s Future

Cornwall Strategy Partnership, Autumn 2008

We are aiming for Cornwall to be a place where:

Economy

We all contribute to the success of our local economy by supporting local businesses

and social enterprises.

We are open to new markets for our services and products in Cornwall and in the

world.

We have grown our business abilities so that our people are sought out as

innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs

We have developed our powers of resourcefulness, creativity and imagination so that

we once again lead the field in technology, innovation and discovery

2.5 Cornwall Retail Study

Cornwall Council, November 2010

Shopping & Leisure

3.37 Due to increased affluence and mobility, and the rise of the internet, shoppers no

longer merely shop to satisfy ‘needs’, they increasingly shop to satisfy ‘wants’ as well.

Retailing in the higher order centres and the more attractive smaller centres is changing

and arguably becoming more of a quasi leisure experience. Leisure spending growth is

continuing to outstrip that of retail, and despite the economic slowdown, at the moment

consumers seem to be willing to continue spending on leisure.

3.38 Quality restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and bars, as well as health and fitness

centres and multiplexes in larger centres, are therefore important to attract shoppers

and encourage longer stays and higher spending. Better integration of retail and leisure

facilities mutually benefits both sectors. Pedestrianised streets and covered retail areas

are also important in attracting shoppers, as is the overall attractiveness of the town

centre, along with good accessibility and car parking.

3.39 A number of factors have helped drive the growth of leisure provision in town

centres. Planning policy is important as is the fact that urban living is fashionable. Town

centres can offer consumers a much more vibrant atmosphere in which to eat and drink

and they also offer a much wider choice of leisure venues, allowing more spontaneous


27

decisions. For bars, restaurants and health & fitness clubs, the attraction of the town

centre is ‘daytime trade’ and the ability to capitalise on proximity to businesses and

shoppers.

Summary

Incomes and expenditure have shown strong growth over the last 20 years, with

retail expenditure growing faster than incomes. This has seen corresponding

increases in sales densities within existing retail floorspace, which has also been

driven by factors such as high value space efficiency and longer opening hours.

Crucially, for CC the current economic slowdown will have an impact on the retail

sector and growth forecasts will need to reflect recent publications from Experian

Business Strategies.

Heightened mobility through increased car ownership, alongside growth in affluence,

has favoured larger centres over smaller centres. Shoppers are more willing to travel

further afield to higher order centres which have increased in size and importance

relative to smaller centres, leading to a consequent fall in their market share.

The composition of town centres has changed through new development, with a

growing number of companies requiring larger shop units to meet their shop format

ratios. This has again favoured the larger centres which generally have the space to

meet such requirements and are able to accommodate this demand. This is particular

noticeable in the convenience sector, which has seen a 37% increase in food

superstores, but a 31% fall in total number of convenience stores over the last 10

years. This has led to current concerns in respect of lack of competition and market

dominance.

Leisure spending growth is continuing to outstrip that of retail, and despite the

economic slowdown, at the moment consumers seem to be willing to continue

spending on leisure – although this may change in the coming months. Nevertheless,

the mix of uses in a town centre is vital to offer choice to shoppers, and quality

restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, bars and other leisure facilities are all important to

encourage frequency of visit and longer stay times.

As competition from the internet increases, town centres need to offer a quality

destination where people want to spend time and gain access to facilities not

available on the web. There has been a continued polarisation towards larger centres

and the provision of larger stores in these larger centres. Where smaller centres have

been unable to diversify their offer or create niche markets and a mix of retail,

leisure and service facilities they have suffered.


28

St Ives Town Centre - Structure of the Town Centre

4.63 St Ives is one of the premier holiday destinations in Cornwall and is nationally and

internationally recognised for its artistic traditions and community, including a succession

of well known artists who over the last century have lived, worked and exhibited in the

town. This aspect of the town has been significantly reinforced by the opening of the

Tate St Ives Gallery in 1993. Situated on the north coast of the far west of Cornwall, it

has a population of 9,866 (2001 Census).

4.64 The town provides a range of basic services to its population and surrounding

area, but tourism is the mainstay of the economy. Although there are no definitive

figures for the number of visitors to St Ives, the Cornwall Visitor Survey in 2008/2009

(Visit Cornwall) showed that 43% of visitors to the county plan to visit the town, making

it the most popular destination for visitors to the county. The popularity of St Ives has

led to a significant number of shops and galleries in the main retail area and the

importance of tourism to the town is reflected by the number of outlets catering for the

leisure market. The night time economy is also an important sector within the town with

a large number of restaurants, bars and cafés.

4.65 .... There is a large Town Centre Area within St Ives which extends around St Ives

Bay from Chapel Street and Tregenna Hill in the south to Porthmeor Beach to the north.

The major concentration of retail and other commercial uses are within the central and

southern parts of this area, with the northern parts characterized by a higher incidence

of residential uses and the Tate St Ives Gallery. The adopted Local Plan proposals map

also identifies a primary shopping area (Policy TV-18), which covers High Street,

Tregenna Place and Fore Street. The primary shopping area typically provides retail

uses which are available all year round as oppose to other parts of the wider town centre

which are seasonal based.

Diversity of Uses

4.66 .... information from Experian Goad and GVA survey date indicates composition of

the centre is as follows:


29

Retail Composition of St Ives town centre, 2007 -2009

2007 2009 Cornwall

average %

UK average %

Sector No. % No. %

Convenience 29 13.88 30 14.15 10.10 9.53

Comparison 117 55.98 111 52.36 48.57 43.23

Service 54 25.84 59 27.83 31.59 33.97

Vacant 8 3.83 11 5.19 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.48 1 0.47 0.68 1.24

Total 209 212

The above analysis indicates that the number of convenience uses within St Ives has

risen very slightly between 2007 and 2009 and remains well above both the national and

Cornwall average levels. With regards to comparison uses, these have fallen since 2007

from 56% of total units to 52%. However, this is still is above average when compared

with the Cornwall and UK average. Conversely, the total number of service units has

increased, although they remain below the Cornwall and UK averages.

4.68 .... In line with the trends in the occupancy of retail units, there have been small

increases in the floorspace occupied by convenience retail and service uses and small

decrease in the amount of floorspace occupied by comparison retail uses. The amount of

floorspace occupied by convenience and comparison uses in St Ives is commensurate

with the Cornish average levels, although the amount of convenience floorspace is

below the national average level and the proportion of comparison floorspace is slightly

above the national average. Whilst the amount of service floorspace has increased

slightly, the proportion of this floorspace compared with the centre as a whole has

remained relatively constant and also remains above the national and Cornish averages.

4.70 In relation to other land uses which can be found within and around the edge of

the town centre in St Ives, the most famous is the Tate Gallery, which is located to the

north of the main town centre area. The Tate Gallery contributes to the overall

attractiveness of St Ives and its town centre and is also likely to add to health and

financial performance of the town centre. In addition to the Tate, there are a large

number of public houses and hotels in the town centre, plus the Guildhall (within

includes tourist information provision), the Royal Cinema (which has 3 screens and 430

seat capacity) and a number of churches/places of worship.

4.71 Apart from being surrounded by the harbour and Porthmeor Beach, the town

centre also abuts a number of tightly-knit residential streets and there remain a number


30

of residential uses interspersed with the commercial/retail premises in the town centre.

In addition, St Ives also has a leisure centre, located at Trenwith Burrows and

possessing a pool and a gym.

Retailer Representation

4.72 There are a small number of national multiple operators in St Ives town centre.

Retailers include Boots, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Fat Face and Superdry clothing stores,

plus a number of the high street banks and building societies. In terms of convenience

retailing, multiple provision in the town centre is small scale including two small Co-op

stores. Independent provision comprises a range of butchers, newsagents, greengrocers

and bakeries, all of which are clearly orientated towards the top-up food shopping

sector.

4.73 Within the comparison goods retail sector, St Ives town centre has a proportion of

clothing and footwear retailers which is close to average levels and, given the tourist

focus of the centre, it is unsurprising that the centre has a very high proportion of

crafts/gifts retailers along with a higher than average proportion of jewellery shops. St

Ives town centre has a lower than average proportion of electrical, DIY and pharmacy

outlets.

4.74 Whilst the proportion of service outlets in the service sector are lower than

average levels, the proportion of restaurant, café, fast food and take away outlets is

noticeably higher than average levels, whilst the proportion of health/beauty and

banks/financial services is below average levels.

4.75 Outside of St Ives town centre, there is a Tesco supermarket in Carbis Bay. The

store extends to 1,600sq m net sales and provides the main bulk food shopping

destination in the St Ives area, providing a reasonably wide range of convenience goods

and supplemented by a small comparison goods offer.

Retailer Requirements

4.76 During winter 2009/2010 there were 7 retailer requirements for St Ives, including

demand from Superdrug, Pizza Express, Laura Ashley, Rohan, Thorntons, Warrens

bakery and subway. These requirements totalled 10,000-21,000sq ft gross. However,

by October 2010 there were no published requirements for St Ives.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.77 Since the previous survey in 2007, the number of vacant units in St Ives town

centre has increased slightly. However, it should be noted that the 2007 survey was


31

undertake in May and the 2009 survey was undertaken in November and therefore it is

very possible that the small increase in vacancies can be explained by seasonal

variations in tourist visits, with the inevitable decrease in visits during the winter

months.

4.78 Nevertheless, even the November 2009 vacancy rates fall well below the Cornwall

and national average level and therefore indicate a strong performing and attractive

centre. Vacancies are spread throughout the centre, with no particular concentration of

vacant properties.

Accessibility

4.79 St Ives is situated on the west coast of Cornwall, located close to Hayle and the

A30 trunk road. When driving to the town centre, car parking is available at the

following locations, which during the peak holiday months can become very congested:

• Barnoon – 214 spaces

• Porthmeor – 36 spaces

• Station car park – 198 spaces

• Sloop car park – 36 spaces

• Island car park – 151 spaces

• Trenwith – 985 spaces

• Park Avenue – 76 spaces

• Porthgwidden – 103 spaces

• Wheal Dream – 22 spaces

• Westcotts Quay – 7 spaces

• Smeaton’s Pier – 30 spaces.

4.80 The railway station in St Ives is located a short walk to the south of the town

centre and provides half-hourly services which link the town to St Erth to the south,

where changes can be made to the main line between Penzance and areas to the east.

4.81 A regular bus service visits St Ives (via Carbis Bay), which links the town to Hayle,

Camborne, Redruth, Penzance and Truro. Due to the narrow street pattern, the service

stops close to the railway station. There are also other bus services which link St Ives

and Carbis Bay to the various holiday parks and camps in the local area.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.82 The household survey identified the following key issues for St Ives:

• Only 0.6% of survey respondents indicated that St Ives was their main centre.

The remainder of data outlined below relates to the information provided by these


32

respondents.

• Other than being near and convenient (52%), the respondents found the coastal

location (23%) of St Ives to be its most attractive feature. Other positive features

included its attractive environment (8%), pedestrian friendly environment (4%)

and selection of independent shops (4%).

• Dislikes that were identified include the apparent poor selection of multiple

retailers (17%) and poor selection of independent shops (15%), plus difficultly in

using parking facilities (11%), tourists (4%) and business during the summer

months (4%).

• Improvements that were identified which would encourage people to use the

centre more frequently including a greater choice of multiple retailers (17%),

greater number of independent shops (13%), new cinema (4%), less

overcrowding (6%) and additional parking spaces (11%).

4.83 Information of the shopping habits/behaviour of local residents in and around St

Ives can be found in Section 5 of this report.

4.85 St Ives is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Cornwall and this

status is reflected in the level and range of retail, service and commercial uses which are

present in the town centre and the level of pedestrian footfall. The number of units and

total level of retail and commercial floorspace is well above the level which would be

expected for a town of this size, which is mostly due to the contribution to the local

economy of tourism expenditure. Vacancies within the centre are consistently low and

there is a reasonable demand from retail and service operators to operate within the

centre. Overall, we can conclude that St Ives is a very healthy centre, which has

increased its financial performance and attractiveness through an increasing appeal to

the tourism industry.



B 2 Tourism

Cornwall is one of the most popular tourist counties in the country. According to the

Cornwall Tourist Board (Sept. 1994), over 80% of visitors agreed or strongly agreed that

there was:

plenty of entertainment 83.8%

good service 86.8%


33

quality accommodation 87.3%

good beaches 91.7%

many places of interest 95.1%

beautiful natural scenery 99.1%

Agreement only dipped below half for the following statements:

plenty to do when wet 49.5%

good weather 44.8%

Many visitor trends are that:

Cornwall is still primarily a family holiday destination, though the average

length of stay has been falling and is now just under week;

52,4% of the visitors in employment were in one of the professions or in

management;

85.9% of visitors were on family holidays; and

tourists visiting Cornwall appear to have stabilized at about three million per

year

Of the three million visitors to Cornwall, 50,000 stay in Penwith, of which 200,000 stay

in St Ives. Bearing in mind that 180,000 visited the Tate St Ives in 1994, it is likely that

St Ives attracts another 300,000 day visitors each year.

Why do they come to St Ives? Undoubtedly the compact historic town centre, its

harbour and generous sandy beaches will always attract families; other features like the

scenery, the coastal walks and the setting (like a Greek island town) will always attract

the more active on short breaks; and now the Tate St Ives is bringing in two new sorts

of visitor - parties of school children and foreigners, who have to date been about 7% of

the total visitors to Cornwall. Since the Tate St Ives opened, for example, over 25% of

TIC enquiries have been from overseas ...

... while tourism is a major industry for the town, and certainly the biggest in terms of

income generated, it is important to remember to keep this in perspective. The 'host

community' is essential to the town's prosperity, and not just as part of the 'visitor

experience'. That is why most of our tourist policies are aimed equally at the resident

and the visitor.


34

Policy 8: Develop an integrated tourism strategy

Much has changed in the last two decades in St Ives. The shops have become more

tourist focused, more visitors now arrive by car (nearly 92% last year), the many hotel

closures ... has substantially reduced the total bed spaces, though self-catering

accommodation has probably made good the loss, while guest houses may have

remained relatively static.

There are two reasons to believe that this position has now stabilized:

1. first, the number of young families visiting St Ives has stabilized (and may

even be reducing) therefore the demand for self-catering is probably near its

peak ...

2. second, the Tate has undoubtedly swelled the number of 'empty nesters' and

older couples who want serviced accommodation on (all) their short breaks,

whether in a hotel or a guest house.

We think a tourism strategy should include the following; some may have already been

done in part but nothing seems done as a co-ordinated strategy

monitor all the tourist businesses regularly to identify any trends; for example,

mode of booking (before arrival or on spec.), reasons for staying in St Ives.

Lengrth of stay and comparison with previous month / year etc.

co-ordinate promotion for the 'shoulder months' around the following niche

sections:

i) promote short breaks around the Tate St Ives and the arts community,

arts/gallery towns and cities;

ii) promote St Ives as a centre for activity holidays (walking, cycling, surfing and

boating etc.); and

iii)develop educational tourism and youth/student accommodation, not just

through arts and culture but also involving all sections of the community, thus

promoting all its assets and heritage

Policy 10: Improve the tourism infrastructure

The improvements should suggest themselves as the tourism strategy develops, but the

following should be considered:

one of the reasons self-catering is popular is that it is by definition en-suite.

Many hotels and guest houses have converted many of their rooms, another

reason for the reduction of total bed spaces ...


35

the main car parks are fairly basic with minimal information. Attractive town

maps can help orientate the visitor, whether to the beaches, hotels, town

centre, main attractions etc.;

promote the area for non-car tourism; and

the TIC dealt with nearly 132, 000 enquiries last year, peaking at 1,700 a day

in July and August ...

B 3 The Local Economy

A Local Labour Market Report prepared for St Ives Job Centre states that 'the hotel and

catering industry is the mainstay of employment opportunity in the town'. Of the 12

major employers:

• four are in hotels

• three are retailers

• three are manufacturers

• the other two are arts and welfare

.... Despite the importance of tourism, over-reliance on this industry should be avoided.

It is highly seasonal with January unemployment figures being as much as 5% points

higher than in July - hence the importance of the shoulder months and the Tate. But it

is also not very well paid, being low skilled and part-time. We must develop all sectors

of the local economy. Hence the importance of other jobs for local people. In the

pursuit of job creation, we focus on the following key sectors:

• town centre retailing

• the harbour

• the arts community

• modern technology

• Penbeagle industrial estate ....

Policy 14: Define a strategy for St Ives' retail core

.... If St Ives town centre is to survive and thrive, it needs an overall strategy that aims

to compete with the existing competition ... the strategy could include the following:

monitoring existing shops; the District Council already monitors shop

vacancies, but turnover trends and the difference between the local shops in

Tregenna Place / High Street and the more 'touristy' shops in Fore Street / the

Wharf should also be studied

a training programme for retailers and restaurants, both to improve customer

care where necessary and to advise incoming retailers on what to avoid ('not

another pasty shop' etc.)


36

a parking refund scheme so that for spending over £5.00 in a shop, one

hour's parking is free, for spending over £10.00 two hours is free ....

marketing the town as a 'department store' selling the widest range of food,

goods and services at competitive prices, with specialist shops and personal

friendly service

making sure that opening hours compare with the superstores

setting up a loyalty scheme ....

Policy 15: Develop the harbour's potential

.... In addition to the 160 moorings, the harbour has to be maintained, kept navigable as

a tidal harbour and then accommodate the following:

a beach for visitors

a public car park on Smeaton's Pier

two slipways for launching vessels

(bands playing on West Pier)

deck chair hire

two ice cream kiosks

This is probably too much for the harbour. It certainly makes the fishing activity appear

incidental, almost a hobby. .... Above all the fishing industry should be protected. At

present most fishing is for mackerel in the four or five summer months. Stocks should

be monitored and the potential for adding or increasing other species (e.g. by breeding

lobsters and bass ....) should be investigated.

Policy 17: Investigate local opportunities in new technology

.... Computer technology is recent but it has already helped most sectors of the economy

in St Ives. We believe it could do more. A local computer or telecentre in the town

could provide training and facilities for word processing and desktop publishing,

spreadsheet analysis and computer aided design or manufacture ....

Policy 18: Improve local employment opportunities

Apart from the Penbeagle industrial estate, there is little in the way of small workshops

and commercial offices. Similarly, as in most towns, there are few central facilities for

networking (or advertising and comparing) skills. The following suggestions should be

investigated:

a small business centre in St Ives, comprising six to a dozen workshops and

offices with floor space from 12 to 50 sq. Metre, available on easy - easy out

terms


37

a skills bank or register, perhaps kept and marketed through one of the small

businesses or alternatively developed through the local paper ....

training courses relevant to local applications ....

the St Ives economy cannot properly be viewed in isolation. It should be

developed as part of the wider area, and certainly co-ordinating with adjoining

'travel to work' areas including Penzance, Helston and Camborne




20th century

.... Tate St Ives .... has had a dramatic effect on the town, carving out a niche in the

cultural tourism of the county and raising the profile of the town at a national level. It

has attracted a new type of visitor to the town and encouraged the development of high

quality cafes, bars and restaurants and design-led boutique-type shops.

Into the 21st century

.... A small fishing fleet still works out of the harbour. Pleasure boating, fishing trips and

a wide range of water sports have become another source of income. .... A thriving

tourism industry has had a marked effect. Many of the town's residences are holiday or

second homes, .... Tate St Ives is a key reason for the settlement's popularity and

success. It has branded the town as a centre of art and culture, a place of quality,

history and character. The town continues to have a thriving art scene with many

studios, galleries and events. .... It .... knows well how to capitalise on its historic

character and interesting past to ensure its own successful future.

The regeneration context

.... The town provides a range of basic services to its population and surrounding area,

but tourism is the mainstay of the economy. With the opening of the Tate St Ives, the

town has developed and built upon its artistic associations to create a niche which it is

now exploiting with some success. Along with the Eden Project and the National

Maritime Museum Cornwall, Tate St Ives forms one of the 'big three' modern year-round

tourist attractions in Cornwall which form the so-called 'Golden Triangle.

.... the Cornwall Visitor Survey (2002-2003) showed that 29.2% of visitors to the county

plan to visit the town .... The survey also showed that 9.7% of visitors to Cornwall were


38

staying in St Ives during their holiday (second only to Newquay). Within St Ives there

are 78 registered hotels and guest houses providing 831 rooms.

.... The importance of tourism to the town is reflected by the number of outlets catering

to leisure (tourism) market and many retail outlets claim to take 60/70% of their annual

turnover between July and September .... Rising rents and a very quick turn-around on

retail lets indicate that the retail market is extremely buoyant with a demand which

cannot be met.

The night-time economy is also an important sector within the town and there are

approximately 65 restaurants, pubs and cafes in central St Ives. In recognition of the

potential for conflict between the restaurant / cafe sector with the retail activity in the

town centre, the Penwith Local Plan precludes the provision of further catering outlets at

the ground floor level in order to safeguard shops. There is also a restriction preventing

the opening of any more take-away restaurants. These policies are in response to the

physical constraints of the town centre where there is no further land available for retail

development.

There are a number of indications that the town's tourist economy is robust. For

example, occupancy rates for hotels are well above the county average. Also, despite

the continuing importance of the town on the main tourist season, there has been a

growth in visitors and trade during the shoulder months. Christmas and New Year are

also 'busy times'. This has been due in large part to the success of the town in re-

inventing itself, from a traditional beach resort to a destination for cultural tourism, a

transformation that has been driven by the Tate St Ives... In 1996 it was calculated

that the gallery was effectively pumping a further £16.5 million per year into the local

economy.

In addition there has also been a 20% rise in rates in the centre of town in the five years

after the Tate opened. There has been a steady improvement in the quality of

accommodation .... and an increasing number of 'up market' restaurants. ....

The County Structure Plan classifies St Ives as a main town local centre. The strategy

for these centres will be to consolidate their roles and functions and support balanced

growth through jobs, services and infrastructure. Employment should focus on the

needs of local firms and on opportunities relating to local characteristics and

distinctiveness.


39




Assets & opportunities

.... ‘St Ives is one of the premier holiday destinations in Cornwall and the UK; nationally

and internationally known for its artistic traditions and community, the town has

transformed itself from a traditional beach resort to a destination for cultural tourism, a

move made possible by the advent of the Tate St Ives, by the presence of Barbara

Hepworth’s Studio and garden, Bernard Leach Studios and by the diversity of work

produced by the artists and craftspeople that continue to practise in the town ....’

Issues facing St Ives

....’ For St Ives businesses, the very nature of the physical layout of the town means a

lack of room for expansion and a lack of affordable premises. The growth of the wider

arts industries in St Ives remains relatively unsupported, yet is a contributor to the St

Ives economy and a major attraction and contributor to the St Ives ethos. Similarly the

success of St Ives as a venue for festivals and celebrations, such as on New Year’s Eve,

offers opportunities to lengthen the tourist season and yet will also add to traffic and

parking issues.

The very quality and nature of the built environment as a tourist attraction, particularly

around the harbour and old town, means that demands placed on that environment by

the need for commercial / retail development, and the consequent advertising and

promotional signage, are in danger of causing it long-term damage and a built

environment policy and streetscape measures are necessary for the longer-term

preservation of the St Ives heritage. ....

The young people of St Ives .... seeking work at 16 and wishing to stay in St Ives have

limited choice of employment and within the available industries there is little evidence

of work-based training and skills development. The retention of our young people and

the provision of training, education, career opportunities and affordable homes are all

key to the future success of St Ives as the place of choice to study, work and live.

Theme 2: the St Ives Economy

Our overall objective is to manage our success as a premier visitor destination by

ensuring that St Ives is developed, marketed and promoted in a way that will help


40

secure a sustainable long-term future for the tourist industry, sympathetic to the

physical and natural environment, and to support other business sectors within the

community to prosper and expand.

Priority projects:

13. To secure funding for the long-term employment of an experienced Town Centre

Manager – as an employee of the community to be a point of reference for all town

centre issues.

14. A strategic marketing plan for tourism in the St Ives area – to determine and

secure consensus on the long-term vision for tourism in the St Ives area and the

subsequent preparation o a strategic marketing plan that achieves the vision. It

proposes a study of all aspects of the current St Ives tourist market: the types of guest

accommodation available and trends in demand, the attraction that bring visitors to the

area, their expectations and whether those expectations are fulfilled....

15. A business development strategy for St Ives – which will develop and promote

the uniqueness of the St Ives environment, encourage young entrepreneurs to start or

develop businesses in St Ives, and to identify and target companies that might be

attracted to locate in the St Ives area.

At the time of writing the report 2646 (59%) of 4486 working people in the area were

employed in four main industries – hotel & catering 857 (19%); retail 807 (18%0; real

estate 538 (12%); health care 448 (10%).

Proposals:

• Investigation of local opportunities in new technology

• Encouragement of local companies to expand

• Encouragement of inward investment, particularly by young entrepreneurs

Other projects:

• Develop a new and innovative tourist attraction

• Support the future of the St Ives branch line

• Investigate schemes to raise additional funds to support projects for St Ives

• Investigate potential for small office / industrial units

• Programme for improving workforce skills

• Business directory for the area

• Promoting business support opportunities

• Promoting mentoring schemes between business and education


41

Theme 3: the Arts and Culture in St Ives

Our objective is to support and promote the wider arts industries and to develop an

expanded programme of festivals, events and concerts in order to consolidate St Ives as

an artistic and cultural venue of international significance.

Priority projects:

A strategy for supporting the arts and culture in St Ives Develop the St Ives festival,

concert and events programme

Economic issues

main industry is hotel / catering / tourism; of less economic importance is

agriculture and fishing and self employment;

Tate St Ives is one of the ‘big three’ modern year-round tourist attractions in

Cornwall;

33% of people in St Ives South (now East) have no qualifications but 44% in St

Ives North (West); of those who are qualified, 20% have higher qualifications in

St Ives South but only 12% in St Ives North;

in 2006 – 59% of people in St Ives are of working age – 72.5% are economically

active;

highest employment category in St Ives South is management as opposed to

skilled trades in St Ives North;

62% of working residents work in town, 70% of people working in the town are

residents – St Ives has a negative flow of employees (-437);

shortage of long-term well-paid jobs;

shortages of employment opportunities for young people;

seasonality of employment and low wage structure;

failure to exploit economic potential of the area and employment opportunities;

lack of town centre retail strategy;

lack of land available of retail development;

poor skills base, particularly interpersonal and enterprise skills;

lack of training opportunities;

limited opportunities for higher skill levels employment;

lack of land for business expansion;

lack of affordable premises especially for small businesses;

lack of an integrated tourism strategy and no total Bay area offers;

need to extend the season into the shoulder months with a higher proportion of

short breaks and an overall increase in the average level of visitor spending per

capita;


42

lack of non-tourism business;

failure of local business to exploit new markets to encourage growth;

new employment space will be focussed on Hayle rather than St Ives;

harbour’s potential is not fully developed for boating and sailing tourism;

higher than average percentage of retired people and those who are permanently

inactive due to health;

lower than average percentage of full-time students;

lower than average percentage of those in full-time employment

Retail and town centre services

the town is not a centre for ‘domestic’ shopping needs

approximately 65 restaurants, pubs and cafes in central St Ives

no local market

local feedback identifies high increases in retail premises rents

the town is not promoted as a shopping centre – although there is an excellent

range of specialist shops

Training and education

.... no specific training available in St Ives to support the main industries and no local

opportunities for employees to up-skill or re-train

Commercial and industrial property needs

one estate agent reports a lack of supply and a demand for commercial space –

excluding town centre retail; vacancies are generally re-occupied within one

month;

lack of affordable business premises in general;

distinct lack of industrial premises / units that would appeal to small businesses,

or those seeking to expand;

premises that are available are predominantly retail, leasehold tenure with high

premiums and rents;

freehold property tends to be hotel / restaurant type premises and expensive;

main area for demand is for light industrial space of between 100sq m – 400 sq

m (there are four sites available with planning permission);

there are no known planned expansion of companies and no known incoming

firms.


43

Reasons for visitors to come to St Ives were cited as:

Sheer beauty of the town, the beach, the weather, the surfing / beach lifestyle, Tate

gallery, the artists’ colony and pasties.

Tourism and visitor services

Substantial number of visitor attractions from the cultural (Tate) to the traditional (boat

trips to Seal Island – St Ives has a great deal to offer tourists.

47% of St Ives income comes directly from tourism;

Penwith receives >740,000 staying visitors and 2,480,000 day visitors every;

year. St Ives is the third most popular UK venue for Christmas and New Year;

the local economy is very vulnerable to seasonal variations, but this is changing.

Older people with more disposable income are coming down out of season, but

these visitors need high-end facilities;

there is a lack of tourist wet-weather facilities in the town centre;

only the Backpackers for lower end accommodation; lacking top-end 4 star

hotel;

no language school or conference centre;

poor signage to direct visitors to attractions;

no trade or business fairs;

no business directory or website other than that posted by Hotel & Guest House

Association.

Consultations with young people

From St Ives School

• Age range 14 – 16, of mixed ability from a range of backgrounds and residential

locations;

• 24 students – 13 female, 11 male; about half were Cornish born & bred, with

extensive family ties;

• most had a strong identity with St Ives (rather than to Cornwall)

From independent schools – carried out by means of questionnaires on school bus

No details of this group.

Employment

Only 2 thought that there were adequate part time jobs. The rest commented that

seasonal work was decreasing and that they found it difficult to obtain part time work.

Only 2 had part time jobs. The questions regarding opportunities to live and work in St

Ives after completing studies were largely unanswered.


44

All jobs were seen to be seasonal and related to tourism. This was still upheld even

when they acknowledged that some of their parents were in employment not related to

tourism. Jobs cited were – waitressing, dish washing, kitchen porter, retail, life saving

on beaches, catering.

Opportunities after completion of studies were thought to be limited. All but one student

said that there were more opportunities in cities and towns ‘up country’. Most of the

young people thought that the job market in St Ives still centred around lower paid

employment in the tourist industry.

All but one student thought that St Ives did not meet their retail needs. Everyone

thought that Penzance and Truro offered a much enhanced range and offered clothing

other than surf wear. Other complaints were cited around the lack of music shops, good

supermarkets and specialist shops that catered for their particular lifestyles i.e.

skateboarding.

A large majority of the young people used the internet to purchase any specialist goods

and would continue to do so even if they were more readily available.




5. Employment

5a. The emphasis is on developing and creating community. There are several circles

of community at county district and town level. We are concerned that our community

should be enhanced by development and there should be no further loss of infrastructure

such as hotels, shops, garages and offices. In order to have a community it has to be

balanced. Virtually all building, including the large amount of infill and buildings in

gardens which has occurred over the past 10 years, has not been for permanent homes.

The number of second homes and holiday lets is now such that it is disproportionate to

the number of residents and counterproductive to a cohesive community.

5b. Tourism is essential to the permanent community of Carbis Bay and we do not see

our concerns expressed subsequently over the current imbalance of building stock here

as in any way detracting from our recognition of that importance. We are concerned at

the loss of hotel bed space resulting from redevelopment of hotels for flats. This has


45

been directly caused by the ability of a developer to obtain huge quick returns on their

investments. Redevelopment of a hotel as a hotel produces much lower returns and

requires a long ‘pay back’ period ....

5d. Recommendations:

1. Under no circumstances will a change of use be granted for a hotel or bed and

breakfast establishment which is to be redeveloped other than as a hotel whether by

demolition or otherwise.

2. No permission be given for a change of use of any other commercial property, shop

or any other building where people are employed. We do not preclude the

redevelopment of a site, provided that the facility and employment opportunity are

secured by planning condition and this is rigorously enforced.

3. To facilitate the development of shops and employment opportunities in shops,

restaurants and offices, any redevelopment in the vicinity of the main road, or on the

main road between the commencement of the BUA and the bends by the paper shop,

should incorporate on the ground floor commercial space to let or otherwise. In any

such redevelopment the parking should be provided for customers to the commercial

outlet / office, and for staff, in addition to residential potential on the site. This condition

shall not apply to the construction of a single dwelling replacing a single dwelling.

2.10 Cornwall Towns 2012: Tourism Volume and Value

Estimates

The South West Research Company Ltd, Visit Cornwall, 2012

Tourism Key Facts:

217 thousand staying visitor trips

540 thousand day visits

£85.8 million direct visitor spend

£86.8 million total visitor related spend

2,850 actual jobs supported by visitor related spend

Tourism Related Employment (FTEs)


46

Direct employment by business

sector

Staying Day Total

Accommodation 544 3 547

Retailing 118 77 195

Catering 298 150 448

Attractions/entertainment 179 48 228

Transport 56 13 70

Arising from non trip spend 15 0 15

Total Direct 1,211 292 1,502

All employment related to visitor spending FTEs Actual

Direct 1,502 2,210

Indirect 377 430

Induced 188 214

Total 2,067 2,854


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3. HOUSING




3.1 Office for National Statistics

In 2001 out of a housing stock of 5,929 dwellings, 1,021 (17 percent) dwellings were not

occupied by a resident household.

In 2011out of a housing stock of 6,891 dwellings, 1,705 (25 percent) dwellings were not

occupied by a resident household.

Between 2001 and 2011 the housing stock in St Ives Area grew 684 or 16 percent but

the resident population grew by only 2.4 percent and the number of resident households

grew by less than 6 percent.

The growth in the housing stock in St Ives Area between 2001 and 2011 was double the

average across England as a whole, and far out stripped growth in resident population

and households, resulting in a sharp rise (+67 percent) in proportion of the housing

stock not being occupied by resident household.

Key Statistics 2001 & 2011 Census

St Ives Area

2001 2011 Change % Change

Population 11,165 11,435 270 2.4%

Household Space 5,929 6,891 962 16.2%

Households 4,908 5,186 278 5.7%

Household space without resident 1,021 1,705 684 67.0%

Population/household 2.27 2.20

households/household space 82.8% 75.3%

Source: ONS

2001 Population (UV01)

2001 Housing Stock (UV53)

2011 Usual Resident Population (KS101EW)

2011 Household Spaces (QS417EW)


48

Despite the strong growth in the housing stock the demand for affordable housing has

not been met and the number of people on the housing register with local connection

qualification for affordable housing in St Ives Area has continued to rise.




‘There are pockets of serious deprivation in St Ives and a significant need for affordable

housing to buy or rent, in a context of high levels of second home ownership and holiday

rental property’.

Theme 4: the St Ives Community

‘Our objective is to ensure that all members of the community are able to be housed

appropriately, have appropriate healthcare and support, enjoy leisure and recreation

facilities and can live safely and with pride in their home and their surroundings’.

Priority project: 21. A long-term housing plan for the St Ives area

Working in partnership with Penwith DC and Housing Associations the project proposed

research into long-term demographic projections for the local population and the

demands of a tourist-led economy in order to prepare a strategic plan for building new

properties and the acquisition of existing properties to rent at affordable prices. Need to

identify examples of good practice & innovative ways of providing affordable housing in a

community where homes bought for use as holiday lets or second homes are increasing

process and reducing the supply for local people.

During consultations young people commented on the Penbeagle Estate as an

unattractive area, offering various explanations:

‘everyone who lives there is on state benefit’;

‘families from other rough areas of the country were sent there when they were

no longer welcome in their own neighbourhoods’;

‘drugs were often dealt on the estate’;

‘people who live on the estate do not look after their property or their area’

There were concerns about the town becoming inhabited by a growing number of old

people and no locals.


49

Housing ‘statistics’

At the time of the survey (i.e. before publication of the report in 2006):

40% of the households in St Ives South (now St Ives East) were occupied by one

person living alone, compared to 26% in St Ives North (now St Ives West); the

Penwith figure is 33.4%; Cornwall and GB are both 30%;

St Ives South (East) has highest percentage of pensioners living alone, at nearly

22%, compared to a Penwith figure of 18.4% (Cornwall 16.4%; GB 14.4%);

St Ives as a whole has a particularly high over 60s population (30% compared

with national average of 21%) and a particularly low proportion of 20 – 29 year

olds (8.7% as opposed to national average of 13%);

St Ives South (East) has lowest figure for households with dependent children,

16.6% compared to St Ives North (West) with almost 35% and Penwith 25.6%

(Cornwall 26.9%; GB 29.5);

high percentage of second homes or holiday lets - >850 (700 in St Ives South

(East); 47 in St Ives North (West);

high cost of property is unaffordable for young people / first time buyers – a

studio apartment (single bedroom) in Barnaloft is £150,000; a two bedroom flat

in Central Apartments, Tregenna Place is £179,000; a waterfront cottage with sea

views and two en suite bedrooms is £435,000;

Penwith is characterised by low average wages, rising property prices, high

private sector rents. Around 10% of the District’s 30,000 homes are used by the

holiday market and a further 12% form the 4,087 affordable rented homes that

are managed by housing associations. Penwith Housing Association is the largest

provider of affordable rented homes with around 92% of the social rented homes

in Penwith;

the Homeseekers Register gives priority to those with a local connection - there

are 290 households seeking affordable housing (all those on the list have a local

connection);

out of season many of the holiday cottages are empty;

most of the flats over shops are already occupied or are in use as holiday homes


50




Objective 2a: ‘Meeting housing needs of the whole community’

6a. Unless some restraint can be placed upon second homes & holiday development this

cannot be achieved. The situation created by holiday & second home buying is such that

virtually the entire non-house owning population of Penwith, who do not have inherited

wealth or who are in the highest income brackets, require affordable homes. The

provision of affordable, including social housing, has become such an issue that this

category of housing has been exempted from the restraints of the (Penwith) Local Plan

to permit building on greenfield sites outside designated areas in the said Plan.

6b. Until this nettle is grasped planning for local people is not possible. Market forces

will dictate that the majority of new builds will quickly go to people from outside the

existing community. We do accept that many of these people make a contribution when

they arrive, but generally is exacerbates the aging population profile with the inherent

social demands which it brings. We are aware that Mr. Andrew George MP is asking for

recognition at national level of this problem, which is particularly severe in Penwith. It

may be that we are unable to progress this topic until the result of his efforts is known.

6c. Recommendations:

1) Penwith District Council should pursue a policy identical to that in National Parks

where all new builds in designated areas must go to local residents. For instance, all

property to the north of the main road in Carbis Bay should be so designated unless it

employs local people e.g. a hotel. ....

3) We have reviewed all the perimeters of our village and were prepared to make some

recommendations for development, but circumstances have overtaken our efforts with

applications pending for large developments of affordable homes outside the planning

area designated in the Penwith Plan off Laity Lane and opposite St Uny School. Until we

know what the actual boundaries of our village are to be before this new plan becomes

current, we do not feel it is appropriate to make any suggestion for further development

....

1) To protect against excessive over development of sites of houses with gardens that a

condition be inserted in the Local Development Framework as follows: ‘ Any

redevelopment of any garden whether by demolition or otherwise shall reflect the

proportion of the existing building and buildings in the vicinity and shall not be


51

permitted where the loss of open space would create a loss of amenity to the

immediate community or the community at large'.

2) Development of gardens or other open spaces where an existing structure is to be

demolished should only be permitted where the structure to be built is proportionate

to existing houses and there is no loss of amenity as at para. 6c (4)

3) No further development of blocks of more than 6 flats on any one site are to be

permitted in Carbis Bay unless the total occupancy of the same can be secured as

affordable homes in perpetuity (Section 106 agreement).

4) The perimeters of Carbis Bay are in areas of high landscape value. We do not

support any radical change in the current boundaries. As a general principle the LDF

should require all house building whether by infill or extending the boundaries of the

village be for provision of houses for residents of Carbis Bay or key workers in the

extended community, and providing a service within Carbis Bay. We envisage this

would include people such as a nurse at Treliske hospital, a dustman working from

Penzance or a teacher at Penwith College.

5) To achieve the objective in 6c (1) the LDF should include a condition that any

application for development within an area designated and marked on a map for

development for local people be of a scale and type to be affordable to local people.

A planning restriction should also be placed on the house to ensure that in any

subsequent resale it is protected for occupation by local persons or their children who

wish to occupy it permanently. (We accept that this will affect the price of land on

new build sites and the sale value of land where it is proposed to build infill.

3.4 Cornwall Council Community Intelligence Team, 2009 data

St Ives and Carbis Bay are in the top five settlements in Cornwall with the highest

proportions of second homes according to Cornwall Council data for 2009.


52

3.5 A Place in the Country: the cost of Second Homes

Exeter University and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Ongoing

research.

The issue of second homes is rising up the socio-political and socio-economic agendas of

a number of countries. The Swiss government, for instance, recently established a

working group to consider how to follow up a nationwide survey in which more than 50%

of voters said there should be a limit on second homes in any community where they

account for at least a fifth of all residences.

In the UK second home ownership has risen sharply since the 1990s, especially in rural

and coastal areas. Critics argue these homes distort the housing market and make it

more difficult for local people to get on the property ladder. With second homes currently

receiving a discount of up to 50% on council tax bills, it is claimed people who struggle

to pay for their sole home are subsidising the bills of those wealthy enough to own two.

The government has announced plans to end tax breaks for second homes, which

allegedly cost councils tens of millions of pounds every year. By any standard, it is an

increasingly emotive issue – one that demands careful consideration.


53

In 2008 a report into the housing market on the Northern Peninsula – the region that

runs from North Cornwall, along the North Devon coast and into West Somerset –

highlighted a growing number of second homes and holiday homes. The findings

prompted North Devon Council’s planning department to work with the University of

Exeter to develop a research proposal to explore second home ownership’s socio-

economic effects on communities.

The first phase of the three-year study, which began in 2011, saw questionnaires

delivered to around 2,700 properties in the North Devon district. Georgeham, Instow and

Brendon/Contisbury, all of which have relatively high proportions of second homes

(between 15% and 25%), provided the main focus, with a sample from Braunton and

Fremington also included. As well as second home owners, residents, businesses and

service providers were targeted. Respondents were asked questions about how they use

their properties and their feelings about where they live – for example, how well they

know their neighbours and whether they consider themselves “active” members of the

community. Selected in-depth interviews will provide greater detail in the next phase of

the study.

Comments and implications

“It’s when the ratio of properties is significant on a local scale that the effects of second

home ownership are likely to be felt most acutely,” says PhD researcher and ESRC CASE

studentship award holder Jenny Barnett. “We need a highly detailed appreciation of the

impacts and attitudes surrounding this issue if we’re going to build an evidence base that

will help planners and policymakers deliver solutions that meet communities’ needs.”

The initial findings of Barnett’s research demonstrate the complexity of the problem and

the views that surround it. The majority of second homes in the survey – 62% – were

previously permanent residential properties. Although a causal relationship cannot be

inferred, the correlation between the selected parishes’ mean average property price and

proportion of second homes is sufficient to be statistically significant. Most respondents

expressed the opinion that second homes make both positive and negative contributions

to the local community, but there were more responses for “only negative” than “only

positive”. The number of second homes was on the whole deemed either “sustainable” or

excessive.

“The reception to second homes within local communities largely revolves around a

number of key factors,” says Barnett. “These include whether a property is used as a


54

holiday let, how well the owners are known locally and how often the property is used or

left empty.

According to our early results, the positive contributions second homes bring include

income, potential employment and patronage of local services. The negatives include

fewer permanent residents, the perception of impact on increasing house prices and the

notion of a gap between those individuals who can afford multiple properties and those

who can’t afford even one.

What planning departments desperately need is a grasp of how best to make use of the

positive contributions and how best to mitigate against the negative contributions. These

might not be easy policies to implement, but it’s becoming more obvious that something

has to be done – and more engagement and communication will help us start to strike a

balance.”

“We often hear opinions about the impact of second homes, but there’s little

documented evidence that looks at the matter in detail,” says Andrew Austen, Lead

Officer for Planning Policy at North Devon Council. “We hope this research will confirm or

counteract perceptions so that we can design strategies that will address these issues.”

KEY FACTS

• The issue of second homes is becoming increasingly controversial in many

countries – not least the UK, where the problem is widespread.

• Research by the University of Exeter is investigating the impacts and attitudes

surrounding the phenomenon in North Devon, where second home ownership is

notably popular.

• The initial findings highlight the complexity of the problem, with most survey

respondents believing second homes make positive and negative contributions to

the community.

• Planning departments need to understand how best to build on the positives and

mitigate against the negatives if they are to design effective policies.

• The study will inform North Devon Council’s future planning strategy and could

help influence authorities facing similar difficulties across the UK.


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3.6 Housing Standards Review: Consultation

Department for Communities and Local Government, August 2013

Background

In 2010 the government announced the need for an industry led examination of

housing standards, to find a way to simplify them. The examination was established

during 2011, under the leadership of the Home Builders Federation, Local

Government Association and National House Building Council. Chaired by Sir John

Harman, the ‘Local Housing Delivery Group’ reported in June 20123.

Given the huge range of standards under consideration, the Local Housing Delivery

Group decided the best way to consider standards was by theme, and divided the

territory up into the themes of energy, accessibility, security, and water. The broad

conclusion of the Local Housing Delivery Group was that there is significant scope for

rationalisation in each of the themes. The group also called for as much material to

be put into the national Building Regulations as possible, to help establish a clearer

divide between planning policies and technical regulations. The Local Housing

Delivery Group also urged the government to continue the review work, and to

include the Code for Sustainable Homes in the review too.

In response to the Harman report, and last spring’s housing and construction ‘Red

Tape Challenge’, in October the government announced the Housing Standards

Review. The full terms of reference for the Housing Standards Review are available

on the GOV.UK website4. In short, two processes were launched together, acting as

different facets of the same review – a Housing Standards Working Group process

and a Challenge Panel Process.

More at https://stivesnplan.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/housing-standards-review-

august-2013.pdf

3.7 Hayle and St Ives Community Network Area Discussion

Paper - Preferred Approach

Cornwall Council, December 2011

During the process of drawing up St Ives Area NDP, the housing target for the area

under the Cornwall Local Plan was revised several times. This was one of the papers

referred to by the housing topic group as they considered Land Allocations, NB. The

target figure presented in this document of 700 additional dwellings for St Ives has since

https://stivesnplan.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/housing-standards-review-august-2013.pdf

https://stivesnplan.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/housing-standards-review-august-2013.pdf


56

been revised upwards to 1000. 1000 is the figure used in St Ives Area NDP as a basis for

the amount of land allocated.

HS 5 Levels of Proposed Growth

Based on a Cornwall-wide growth target of 48,000 new homes, we have identified that

the Hayle and St Ives Community Network Area should anticipate a growth target of

2,900 new homes over the period 2010-2030 (equating to 145 new homes per

year)...However, many of these new homes already have planning permission as can be

seen in the table below...

Table 1

Area No. of new

homes

2010-2030

Dwellings

completed

April 2010-

April 2011

Dwellings

under

construction

April 2011

Dwellings with

unimplemented

planning

permission

April 2011

Remainder

to be

provided by

2030

Hayle 2000 32 42 1177 749

St Ives and

Carbis Bay

700 69 122 270 239

Remainder

of the CNA

200 26 16 75 83

Total 2900 127 180 1522 1071

3.8 Housing Growth & Distribution: Housing Growth Pre

Submission Version


During the process of drawing up St Ives Area NDP, the housing target for the area

under the Cornwall Local Plan was revised several times. This was one of the papers

referred to by the housing topic group as they considered Land Allocations, NB. The

target figure presented in this document of 900 additional dwellings for St Ives has since

been revised upwards to 1000. 1000 is the figure used in St Ives Area NDP as a basis for

the amount of land allocated.

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 ’Housing Growth and Distribution’ is the set of documents that set out the

rationale for the development of housing growth targets in Cornwall and the spatial

distribution of this growth as proposed in ‘Planning Future Cornwall1’ – Cornwall’s


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Local Plan: Strategic Policies (formerly referred to as the Core Strategy). The Council

considers that the proposed housing target and spatial distribution strategy is

deliverable, justifiable and appropriate; and represents a coherent expression of

Cornwall’s strategic and local priorities.

More at https://stivesnplan.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/housing-growth-target-paper-

v12-mar-13.pdf

3.9 Settlement Review

Penwith District Council, Planning and Development Department, 1981

5.4 St Ives Structure Plan Area

St Ives Structure Plan Policy Area includes St Ives and Carbis Bay, Halsetown, Lelant,

Lelant Downs, Nancledra, Towednack and Zennor...The policy statement for this area,

Policy 12.3.A is that:

“sufficient provision of residential land will be made in the St Ives Area for

600 to 700 additional dwellings, over the period of 1976 to 1991...”

Paragraph 12.3.3 also states that most of the residential development over this period

should be restricted to land already subject to planning permission and, as far as

possible, phased in relation to the housing needs of the local inhabitants...

At the present time, the embargo on new development beyond existing planning

permissions as a result of foul sewerage and surface water problems, the inadequate

capacity of the tidal storage tanks and unsatisfactory sea outfall mean that no further

planning permissions for these areas should be granted. In addition, development is

restricted by inadequate water distribution in certain areas.

IN VIEW OF THE SEWERAGE EMBARGO, NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WILL BE

PERMITTED IN ST IVES UNLESS SATISAFACTORY ALTERNATIVE SEWERAGE DISPOSAL

ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE AGREED.

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4. OPEN SPACES




4.1 National Character Area profile 156 West Penwith (NE 371)

Natural England, 2012

West Penwith is a sparsely populated peninsula, ringed by high cliffs and rising to high,

rocky moorland at its centre. Also known as the Land’s End Peninsula, it is at the south-

west extremity of England, surrounded on three sides by the pounding waters of the

Atlantic Ocean and separated from the rest of Cornwall by a low-lying isthmus (land

adjacent to the A30 between Hayle and Penzance). The area includes the fishing

settlement of St Ives and a number of small villages which originated as fishing or

mining settlements, but which are now popular tourist destinations. Access around most

of the landscape is by narrow ancient lanes bounded by granite walls. ....

Key characteristics

An exposed, open and wind-swept granite plateau forms the core of the area with

boulder-strewn slopes leading to an intricate matrix of spectacular sea cliffs,

coves and coastal valleys;

Lowland heath, rough species-rich grassland linked by lichen-encrusted granite

walls and sycamore-dominated copses provide niches for a wide range of species;

Intensive horticulture for early vegetables and flowers in the south and east of

the area;

Woodlands are generally limited to the more sheltered valleys with areas of scrub

woodland developing on the higher moor areas;

Impeded drainage and hard rock have given rise to shallow streams and wet

heathland. Streams wind through the higher ground and cut sharply in their

lower reaches; ....

The outdoor opportunities presented by beaches, the South West Coast Path and

the area's wild character, combined with its artistic influence make it a significant

tourist destination.


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4.2 A Green Infrastructure Strategy for Cornwall: A Strategic

Framework

Transport, Waste and Environment Cornwall Council, 2012

The term ‘Green Infrastructure’ covers a wide range of environmental assets that are

either natural, historic and/or man-made, such as (but not solely):

• School playing fields

• Allotments

• Natural green space (including woodland, grassland etc)

• Parks and gardens (including private gardens)

• Rivers, riverbanks and wetlands

• Cemeteries

• Beaches and coast

• Verges (road and rail corridors)

• Market squares

•

Green infrastructure is a strategically planned and delivered network of high quality

green spaces and other environmental features. It should be designed and managed as

a multifunctional resource, capable of delivering a wide range of environmental and

quality of life benefits for local communities (Natural England, 2011). Green

infrastructure can be found in both urban and rural areas. It includes assets that may be

high quality or degraded as a result of their current or past use.

Green infrastructure is a vital element of sustainable communities and for many people

is the reason for living, working, visiting and investing in Cornwall. Therefore, good

quality, well planned and appropriately located green infrastructure is critical to

Cornwall’s future. Not only does it help us to live more sustainably and self-sufficiently,

but it also helps to increase resilience and adaptation to climate change.

The key to green infrastructure is the functionality of the assets as places which shape

our current and future quality of life. Traditionally the functions and value of natural and

man-made assets have mainly been looked at in isolation (for example as an ecological

resource or as a space for recreation). Green infrastructure planning provides a

mechanism to consider how individual elements work together to provide an overall

‘system’.


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Although it is not necessary for green infrastructure assets to be connected, additional

value can be gained through the creation of a ‘network’. For example, connecting new

settlements with existing open space can deliver health and well-being outcomes for

residents or linking isolated habitats through wildlife corridors can help species maintain

critical thresholds or migrate in response to, for instance, climate change.

2.1 A Green Infrastructure Vision for Cornwall

Our vision is for a strategically planned and delivered green network throughout

Cornwall, comprising high quality green spaces, green corridors and other environmental

features delivering a wide range of ecosystems services for the benefit of all. We believe

that everyone in Cornwall should have local access to good quality natural green spaces

close to where they live:

• To provide access to the natural environment

• For opportunities for physical activity, healthy lifestyles and improved well-being

• To provide places for community food growing

• For economic benefits

• To maintain Cornwall’s ecological resources

• For the management of water resources

• To help adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change

• For high quality built and natural landscapes

• To promote sustainable transport opportunities

• To provide places and routes for recreational activities such as cycling, fishing,

boating, horse riding, walking and play

• To improve links to facilities and services

Key Principles:

Health &Wellbeing - The importance of green infrastructure for people of all ages and

abilities to experience enhanced health and well being and quality of life should be

recognised and taken into account when planning and investing in the delivery of new

and enhanced green infrastructure in Cornwall through the design and development of

new homes, employment sites and infrastructure

Economy - The importance of green infrastructure in providing a positive platform for

the economy must be taken into account when planning and designing new homes,

employment sites and infrastructure

Climate Change - The importance and role of green infrastructure in increasing

Cornwall’s resilience to climate change (adaption) and reducing our contribution of


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greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation) must be taken into account when planning and

investing in the delivery of new and enhanced green infrastructure in Cornwall through

the design and development of new homes, employment sites and infrastructure

Education - The importance and role of green infrastructure in increasing understanding

about how we live, how our culture has evolved and what the future holds, as well as

supplying the potential for the attainment of new and transferable skills, must be taken

into account when planning and investing in the delivery of new and enhanced green

infrastructure in Cornwall through the design and development of new homes,

employment sites and infrastructure

Environmental Quality - The importance and role of green infrastructure in reversing

biodiversity loss and reconnecting fragmented habitats and supporting a move to embed

ecosystems services must be taken into account when planning and investing in the

delivery of new and enhanced green infrastructure in Cornwall through the design and

development of new homes, employment sites and infrastructure. Green infrastructure

should be an integral part of new development everywhere, delivered via the spatial

planning system and through the communities that need it for their day to day living. It

should also form a key part of proposals to regenerate existing urban and rural areas

(Natural England, 2012).

4.3 Cornwall Infrastructure Needs Assessment: Hayle & St Ives

Schedule

Future Cornwall, Cornwall Council, March 2014

St Ives & Carbis Bay Open Space Provision

provision of parks, amenity space, natural space, children's play area/equipment,

allotments and cemeteries

to improve access to community and green spaces

cost £1,544,947.00

anticipated to be delivered on site or through S106 and other regeneration funds

based on bespoke standards as identified for each Town Framework town

Green corridor

St Ives green infrastructure connections

new strategic connections in the urban area

improve access to sustainable transport walking and cycling routes


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cost unknown

funding needs identification

route identification, land acquisition, planning permission, funding package

GI work - dependent on which development land options are taken forward in the

Core Strategy

Sports facilities

St Ives and Carbis Bay Outdoor Sports and Youth Facilities

provision of outdoor sports facilities and equipped outdoor youth provision

£431,825.00 CIL

anticipated that CIL will fund

dependent on development being delivered

based on bespoke standards for each Town Framework town

4.4 Open space strategy for larger towns in Cornwall:

Recommendations for Future Provision Standards

Economy, Enterprise and Environment Directorate, Cornwall Council, July 2014

St Ives & Carbis Bay open space assessment

183. All types of open space as defined in Section 1 were identified and mapped within

the planning area (Map13 in Appendix 2) and the areas used to inform existing level of

provision (in terms of quantity per person) as shown in Table 2.

184. The key observations of the existing provision are as follows:-

Provision in general parks and amenity space (1) is 26% below average and

the lowest of the 16 areas studied. This reflects the density of housing in the town

and the limited space available. Many of the existing public gardens & amenity

spaces are too small to be considered to have a sufficiently strategic recreational

function.

83% higher than average level of natural space (typology 2) – typical of a main

beach resort town. It comprises both hillside environments such as at Steeple

Woods, as well as the coastal landscapes. The beaches, included under this typology,

extend significantly outside of the study area. These spaces serve a much wider

remit than most natural spaces, providing sport and more formal recreation functions

and for which the town is famous, resulting in the town population swelling during

the summer months.


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Lower than average level of overall outdoor sports space (3 & 8). The majority

of this is the Tregenna Golf Course, which has limited community use. If we extract

the golf course, tennis and bowling, combined the provision of sports pitches is well

below the national standard (FiT), but does meet the standard based upon current

demand (6.9m2/person) identified in the draft Cornwall Sports Pitch Strategy. This

would however require that all school sports pitches were made available for formal

community use. As the majority of sports require decent level land, sites of suitable

topography should be secured for future needs.

The level of provision for children (4) is 68% below the average and the

lowest per person of the 16 towns studied.

Provision for young people (5) is 50% below average. It could be argued that

the accessible beaches will to a small extent meet some of this shortfall.

185. The draft Cornwall Sports Pitch Strategy predicts a significant shortfall in junior

football and rugby & cricket pitches (all age categories) in the Hayle and St Ives network

area at some time during the week.

St Ives & Carbis Bay open space proposals

186. Table 16 proposes future quantity standards for the towns, based upon an

increased population. Column 2 identifies the existing areas of deficiency based on the

current population data and applied accessibility standards shown in Table 3. The

delivery of open space provision for the area as a whole, which incorporates growth in

line with the Local Plan, as recommended in column 3 and column 4 (value ‘per person’),

can only partly be delivered by new development, with existing deficits being rectified by

other methods e.g. regeneration projects, change of use etc. Column 5 of Table 16

provides the minimum quantity of open space specifically needed to be delivered as part

of new housing proposals in support of the town wide standard. This is given as a ‘per

dwelling’ value for ease of use by developers and planners, and to avoid ambiguity in

making the necessary calculations.

187. As shown in the accessibility map for St Ives in Appendix 3, there is a deficiency in

equipped children’s play in the Chy-an-Gweal and The Belyars areas. Equipped play

areas are highly expensive to maintain and require regular specialist inspections. The

improved standard of provision can still be met through fewer, larger & better designed

sites. There can be consolidation of play sites in some areas, such as at Carbis Bay,

where the low value facility at the Trewartha Estate could be phased out. Deficiencies in

other types of open space are listed in Table 16 column 2.

188. The quantity of natural space required for dwellings shown above is significantly

below the standard set due to the existing provision in parks & amenity and natural


64

space partly meeting future needs. It is recognised however, that an improvement in

quality will be needed to mitigate for the additional population, for which contributions

for enhancement will be sought (see 203. How to apply the open space provision costs).

189. To resolve existing deficiencies in outdoor sports pitches the draft Cornwall Sports

Pitch Strategy recommends greater community use of school playing fields, along with

the re-designation of some adult football pitches and increasing the capacity of existing

rugby pitches.

190. Further investment through local partnerships will be required to invest in the

existing natural space and to supplement the increases required in Parks & amenity,

children’s play, teenage (youth) provision and allotments.

191. In addition to the schemes listed in table 16 to address deficiencies, the

assessment also recommends that the following existing open spaces are prioritised for

additional investment in the future based upon their strategic value (in alphabetical

order):

Chy An Gweal Gardens

Mike Peters estate

Palemon Best

Richmond Gardens

Trewartha

Trewyn Gardens


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Table 16. Proposed quantity provision standards for strategic open space in

St Ives & Carbis Bay - increased population estimate of 16,036 (1000 new

dwellings)in St Ives &

Type Existing req'ment

based on

assessment of

distribution

Recommend.s

on future

provision

Future provision

standard town

wide (m2 per

person)

Min. provision

standard town

wide (m2 per

dwelling)

1. parks,

amenity

increase 7.47 17.17

2. natural space existing could

partly meet

future needs

44.11 5.26

3. public sport new provision as

part of a strategic

hub facility only

currently meets

playing pitch

standard

21.4 - typ8 19.04

4. children's

equipped play

Chy-an-Gweal

and The Belyars

areas

increase but

allow for how

beach makes

contribution

0.59 1.36

5. teen

provision

Carbis Bay &

north-east of St

Ives

increase but

allow for how

beach makes

contribution

0.19 0.44

6. allotments Carbis Bay area small increase 1.27 2.92

7. cemeteries NA assumes no

increase within

town boundary

3.13 -

8. school

pitches & clubs

requires

increased

availability to

community

21.4 - typ3 -

Total

Total for 1 - 6

(standards apply)

78.16

55.47

-

46.19


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4.5 Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management

Plan 2011-2016

Adopted by Cornwall Council, 16 January 2011

Cornwall AONB Partnership

PD1 Ensure the purposes and objectives of AONB designation are fully recognised in

the development and implementation of Cornwall Local Development Framework and

other public policies, strategies and programmes.

PD2 Ensure that the Green Infrastructure Strategy provides alternative natural green

space to address risks to AONB features from tourism development and outdoor

recreation facilities, and promotes the reduction of surface runoff and improving water

quality by the inclusion of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS.) ...

PD4 Support the provision of affordable housing to meet identified needs of local

people in locations with access to employment and local services. Ensure that the

selection and development of affordable housing sites within or in the setting of the

Cornwall AONB has appropriate regard to landscape and settlement character.

PD5 Support the provision of identified local employment needs in settlements within or

in the setting of the Cornwall AONB that has appropriate regard to protected landscape

and settlement character.

PD6 Support tourism development that conserves and enhances the diverse local

landscape characteristics of the sections of the Cornwall AONB. Ensure that in the

development of tourist facilities the scale, design and use of materials has appropriate

regard to the character, sensitivity and capacity of the protected landscape. ....

PD8 Ensure that any necessary development in or within the setting of the AONB is

high quality sustainable development that:

is appropriately located, of an appropriate scale and addresses landscape sensitivity and

capacity is compatible with the distinctive character of the location described by the

Landscape Character Assessment .... maintains semi-natural corridors ....

is designed to respect quality of place in the use of distinctive local building styles and

materials, dark skies and tranquillity; and .... protects trees, other important landscape

features and semi natural habitats, in order that it can contribute to the conservation

and enhancement of the natural beauty of the protected landscape. Particular care will

be taken to ensure that no development is permitted in or outside the AONB which would


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damage its natural beauty, character and special qualities or otherwise prejudice the

achievement of the AONB purposes. ....

PD13 Promote the adoption, use and, when appropriate, revision to the Planning

Protocol for the Cornwall AONB and the Tamar Valley AONB with Cornwall Council to

ensure that effective consultation is achieved on policy preparation and major or

significant development within and in the setting of the AONB in Cornwall.

4.6 Hayle & St Ives Historic Environment Character

Cornwall Council 2011

The visual and physical attributes for this Community Network Area (CNA) have been

broadly summarised within the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Landscape Character Study

(CSLCS), incorporating parts of CA02, CA03 and CA04, the whole of CA05 and parts of

CA06 and CA28. (See links at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=19002).

Reference should be made to the relevant character area descriptions; a number of

caveats must be added, however.

1. While the CSLCS landscape subdivisions are a reasonable assessment of the varying

HE characteristics of the CNA, it is crucial to recognise that the historic landscapes of the

area, apart from the core St Ives Bay area, are shared with neighbouring CNAs.

Management decisions within these zones cannot be made in isolation without

considering, for instance, the integrity of the hugely significant ancient field systems to

the west of St Ives with those around Zennor, just as the high moors here, with tor

enclosures and hillforts like Trencrom (within West Penwith), must be related to the

lands to the west, as much as those to the east that they seem to overlook.

2. This is a CNA encapsulating very diverse landscapes - for instance, the high moors

of the west have little to do with the conservative, rich farmlands of the south-eastern

part of the area and will require different approaches to assessment and management

solutions. ...



Policy 5: Improve the landscape

.... The key open spaces in the town are the whole of the Island, Barnoon Cemetery,

Trewyn Gardens, St Ia cemetery and the Malakoff.


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the Island is an exposed open space that is also a key focal point for the town. It

should remain so with grass (largely uncut) surrounding the interesting chapel

and fortifications. Perhaps the paths need upgrading;

the Barnoon cemetery is an important and evocative open space with its two

chapels of rest and gravestones surrounded by grass and stone walls. Apart from

keeping the cemetery tidy and the grass cut, we would only suggest a possible

wildlife site at the top end managed by schoolchildren to encourage butterflies

and birds in this quiet area;

the Malakoff, Trewyn Gardens and the Island are important viewing points for the

town. They are also major attractions providing restful environments completely

different to the bustle of the streets. This contrast must be retained....

Edge of town tree planting is essential. Between the Atlantic moorland west of St

Ives and the wooded hills around Tregenna to the south is some mundane landscape

prominently scarred with the Trenwith car and coach park. This whole area, so visible

from the Island and Downlong, requires a planting strategy that softens the impact of

the car park, helps to enhance the swimming pool .... and extends (or reintroduces) the

wooded ridge line west of Tregenna. There are other edge of town sites, in particular

the Penbeagle industrial estate, that would benefit from landscaping and mature trees.

.... landscape management is crucial. The best features, the ancient landscapes and

the new schemes all need to be monitored and restocked, adapted and extended....




Landscape & setting

Tucked in behind the promontory called The Island on the west side of the sweeping arc

of St Ives bay, St Ives town is at the north-eastern corner of the West Penwith peninsula

in west Cornwall.

The area is windswept and denuded of significant tree cover. The neighbouring coastline

is dramatic with sheer granite & greenstone cliff, secluded coves & long stretches of

golden, sandy beaches & dunes. Sea and sky views stretch for miles, together with

stunning views of the rest of the coastline of the bay.


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Views inland are restricted by the rising ground behind the town. Skyline features

include Tregenna Castle and its parkland & the distant but distinctive Knill’s monument

to the south and the granite uplands of Rosewall Hill to the west.

The Stennack Rives rises near Rosewall and has cut a deep valley which emerges into

the bay just north of the little point of Pedn Olva.

While a strip of resort-based suburbia stretches southwards along the coast to Carbis

Bay, running west and inland from St Ives is one of the world’s oldest enclosed farming

landscapes. Patterns of small irregular shaped fields bounded by granite walls (whose

grounders were eased into place 2 or 3 thousand years ago) fill the coastal plateau and

the valleys of St Ives, Towednack and Zennor parishes and run on towards Lands End.

Prehistoric monuments dot the landscape. This ancient landscape is an important

element of St Ives providing, alongside the great granite cliffs & heathy tor-topped hills,

a beautiful and inspiring context for the town. The air here is famously clean & clear,

allowing the colours of land, sea and townscape to shine out clearly.

The spectacular scenery and natural setting contribute to the land west and south being

defined as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and as an Area of Great

Landscape Value (AGLV). To the west is part of the Heritage Coast and the hinterland

contains many Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Cornwall Wildlife Trust sites

and Areas of Great Scientific Value (AGSV). (Also Areas of Great Historic Value).

Manage & enhance the urban greenscape

The importance of soft landscaping and trees in the streetscape, wider townscape and in

specific parks and gardens has been identified as an important element in the character

of the town. There are opportunities for the enhancement of such urban greening. The

coverage of Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s) should be reviewed and promoted in order

to better protect this important asset.

The Malakoff offers some of the best views of the town and wider bay. Currently its

presentation and public realm is very dated. This area would benefit from a targeted

scheme to improve the attractiveness and amenity use of this important public space.

Porthminster Gardens is another area suitable for soft landscaping enhancement. .....

As well as the distinctly urban green spaces the town also has more natural and

undeveloped open areas, for example the Island. The character of these areas should be

protected, development and urbanisation resisted. For example the recent upgrading of

the Island car park has unfortunately attempted to treat this space as part of the town,


70

as demonstrated in the choice of street lighting units. It is more appropriate to see this

car park as part of the natural environment of the Island and keep its public realm

treatment rural rather than urban in character, and minimal in impact.

Landmarks and views

The town is full of spectacular, breath-taking panoramas and snatched glimpses of both

townscape views, enlivened by the dramatic underlying topography, and seascapes

within the wider bay. The form of the town in such views is very important. Its

distinctive curves and sweeps seem at one with the surrounding and underlying

environment - the town being very much linked to its location and natural setting.

Landmark features are numerous and include:

the beaches and harbour

the church tower

the market house

the two lighthouses of the pier

the Godrevy lighthouse across the bay

the Island topped by the chapel of St Nicholas

Tregenna Castle and its mature estate trees

Tate St Ives

and the distant Knill's monument

Character areas: 6: Coastal suburb and railway resort

This area represents an affluent suburb of the town and an important part of its

development as a ‘railway resort’. The large detached houses, villas, town-house

terraces and grand hotels are amongst the most imposing architectural statements in

the town, designed on a grand scale and set within large spacious gardens. ....The

mature planting and trees of the well stocked large private grounds and gardens make a

positive feature in wider town views. ....

Recommendations from character area sections:

recognise the historic and urban importance of the churchyard as a green oasis in

the

town centre and encourage further use of this asset

create a better functioning town space at Royal Square

care should be taken to retain the Island's semi-wild character

protect (boundary walls, railings, gates and) front gardens from conversion for

car parking

reintegrate the Stennack stream into the surrounding streetscape

promote the use of the impressive and publicly accessible sub-tropical gardens


71

enhance the footpaths that connect the town with the car parks

enhance the Malakoff as an important public open space

recognise, respect and enhance the importance of gardens, mature trees and

planting in the area




St Ives is located in the West Penwith district of Cornwall; sheltered behind the Island,

St Ives faces north and east across St Ives Bay towards, Hayle, Gwithian and Godrevy

lighthouse. The north facing coast is dramatic, windswept and denuded of trees,

receiving much of the force of the Atlantic; the east facing coast and the Stennack

Valley are far more sheltered, wooded and green. Granite cliffs march westwards from

St Ives to Lands End and looking east to Carbis Bay and Hayle, the vista is one of long

sandy beaches and dunes. ....

9. A ‘public open spaces’ policy for St Ives

To protect existing public open spaces and create new open space within the town’s

boundaries. Seek finance to carry out an audit of the open spaces within the town to

identify the shortfall against National Playing Field Association standards of 1.6ha per

1000 population for outdoor sports and 0.8ha per 1000 population for children’s play

space; and top prepare a strategy to safeguard existing spaces and develop new spaces

to ensure that the standards are met within the existing town boundaries. This strategy

will:

include the development of traffic-free ‘green corridors’ which will encourage

wildlife throughout the town

endorse the Steeple Woods initiative

endorse the development of the Ayr Field for public open space

11. Rights of way improvement plan

To address the needs of all rights of way users in the St Ives area & to ensure access to

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Heritage Coast & other parts of the natural

heritage of the St Ives area.

The County Council is currently producing a county-wide plan for the future &

development of the Rights of Way Network (footpaths, bridleways & byways). The


72

Rights of Way plans will require the support & enthusiasm of local communities to ensure

the plans are viable, get necessary funding & meet the needs of the users, which include

both local residents & visitors.

Theme 3: Built & natural environment ....

shortage of useable public space within the town boundary

lack of public access to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

poor maintenance of footpaths and bridleways

poor signage of footpaths and bridleways

concern that the natural environment may be degraded

Top 40 issues included:

The countryside

At present within the Penwith Local Plan, the only formal proposal for development on

the edge of town is the reservation of land for outdoor sports provision adjacent to St

Ives Rugby Club which relates to the extension of the existing clubhouse and

development of surrounding pitches. However there are various policies in place which

would allow in principle for future developments on the urban edge to take place such as

affordable housing, sites for business/industrial use and recreational or tourism uses.

Young people felt their needs were certainly not met and all students asked for leisure,

sport and skate park facilities to be recommended. .... They felt that the green spaces

were not well maintained or safe.




Meeting housing needs of the whole community

6c. 4) .... ‘ Any redevelopment of any garden whether by demolition or otherwise shall

reflect the proportion of the existing building and buildings in the vicinity and shall not

be permitted where the loss of open space would create a loss of amenity to the

immediate community or the community at large'.

Environment – landscape

8a. .... We are seriously concerned that development companies have acquired large

tracts of land on the coast and fields forming the green belt between the eastern edge of

Carbis Bay and the western edge of Lelant. Parts of the land have some protection by


73

virtue of their designation as Local Nature Reserves or Areas of Great Landscape Value

(AGLV). Some of this area should be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural

Beauty (AONB). The rest of the land running from the cliffs in the north through to

Tempests at the rear of Lelant is only currently protected because it is designated as

being outside the current areas allocated for development in the Penwith Plan. This

whole are is of outstanding landscape value and it is essential that it remains outside any

area designated for development and that it is re-designated as an Area of Great

landscape Value.

Recommendations:

1. All the area lying outside that currently designated as that currently designated as

the east border of Carbis Bay and to the north of Church Lane, until the junction with

the footpath leading to Dynamite Quay be designated as an AONB.

2. The southerly half of the two fields forming a triangle between the northerly side of

St Ives Road and the eastern edge of the development in Porthrepta Road be

excluded from the AONB (part of two fields at the rear of John Beck's fish

restaurant). This area should not be included in the urban boundary and no planning

consent allowed on this land until the outline of the southerly urban area of Carbis

Bay is resolved through a coherent affordable housing plan....

3. All the land to the north of the railway line from Hain Walk until reaching the

southerly designated limit of Carbis Bay be protected from any further development

as AGLV.

4. The southerly boundary of Carbis Bay is under pressure for development. We find it

impossible to make recommendations for this area, given the current pending

applications for affordable homes and we reserve our position on this area but repeat

we do not envisage extensive development outside the current village boundary. (In

para. 7 it is recommended that a field off Polmennor Drive is protected from housing

development and set aside as the site for a new school)

5. Richmond Park, St Ives Road is to be retained as an area of recreational importance.

Environment – trees

9a. All of the wonderful vistas which are the main attraction of Carbis Bay, seen from

the air, sea, beach, Knill’s Monument etc. rely on foliage to soften the landscape. ....

Moreover, trees help to break up and mask many of the concrete and render monoliths

which have been allowed to be constructed over recent years.

Note: This report includes a detailed photographic record of ‘major’ trees in the area,

including those protected by TPOs – mainly Monterey cypress trees. As these age and


74

have to be felled, a tree replacement policy should be strictly adhered to, and tree

planting schemes encouraged.

4.11 Ambient Air Quality Directive

European Union Directive, 2008

The 2008 Ambient Air Quality Directive sets legally binding limits for concentrations in

outdoor air of major air pollutants that impact public health. The local air quality

management (LAQM) regime requires every district and unitary authority to regularly

review and assess air quality in their area.Air quality can also affect biodiversity and may

therefore impact on our international obligations under the Habitats Directive. Odour and

dust can also be a planning concern, for example, because of the effect on local amenity.

(http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk Paragraph: 001 Reference ID: 32-001-

20140306 Revision date: 06 03 2014)

4.12 Open Space, Sports and Recreation Facilities Audit

Penwith District Council, April 2008

The typologies and places identified in this audit have been carried forward into St Ives

Area NDP to identify important community facilities and open spaces, with a few

additions made during the process of drawing up St Ives Area NDP in 2014 – see section

4.13 below.

Introduction

As part of the evidence base for the Local Development Framework (LDF) an audit of all

open space, sport and recreation facilities within the District has been undertaken. The

requirement to undertake this audit is set out in Government policy in the form of

‘Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 – Planning for open space, sport and recreation'

(PPG17). The rationale for undertaking such an audit is that it will enable local

authorities to:

Identify specific needs and quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses of open space,

sports and recreational facilities in the areas. They form the starting point for

establishing an effective strategy for open space, sport and recreation at the local level

(tied into the local authority's Community Strategy), and for effective planning through

the development of appropriate policies in plans (PPG17 paragraph 4).


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4.13 Open Spaces Audit- using typologies recommended in PPG17

Open Spaces Topic Group, St Ives Area NDP, 2014

This audit is used as the basis for policy CF1 in St Ives Area NDP, corresponding with

Appendix 3 and Map 10.

Provision for children and young people

-including play areas, skateboard parks, outdoor basketball hoops, mugas & teenage

shelters

Name Size

(Ha)

Age

Group

Description

Palemon Best

Recreation Ground

NEAP

1.8 1-teens Well designed recreational area with well equipped

play park, mini football field with posts and a

skateboard park with ramps, rails and a ½ pipe.

Designed on different levels with newly planted

wooded area, ample bench seating and also

incorporates a bridal way. Park lacks proper

entrance signage, contact information and lighting...

Suffers from the occasional bouts of vandalism. Has

footpath link to Carnstabba Hill. St Ives TC owned,

CC maintained.

Ayr Play Site

LAP

0.02 1-6 Small, enclosed toddlers' play area with swings,

rockers and a multi- play unit. A childrens' picnic

bench is also present, along with a bench seat for

carers. However, too near smelly dog-bin! Bit of

graffiti on bin. No provision for older children.

Trewartha Play Site,

Carbis Bay

LEAP

0.37 1-12 Small play area set within large, enclosed grassed

space, which up until recently had football posts.

Being in a retirement area there is room to create a

flower garden with seating to attract older people.

Restricted access. Poorly maintained. New play

equipment for under 12s, including goal posts, has

been installed.


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Richmond Gardens,

Carbis Bay

LEAP

0.65 1-12 Recently refurbished play area with new enclosure

with self-closing gates, safa surfacing and new

equipment and seating. Set within amenity

grassland with pathways popular with walkers & dog

walkers. Has two bench seats and two picnic tables

and some dog-mess hampers the playing of ball

games.

Outdoor Sports Facilities

(with natural or artificial surfaces and either publicly or privately owned)- including

tennis courts, bowling greens, sports pitches, golf courses, other outdoor sports areas &

schools-with public access.

Name Size

(Ha)

Description

St Ives Rugby Football

Club

4.46 Situated at the top of St Ives this rugby club has 2 pitches,

one being match quality with excellent spectator shelter,

floodlighting and well maintained grass pitch. The large

clubhouse has a bar and is available for functions. Has a

popular exercise/recreation club Evolution Gym. Building

exterior suffers from wear & tear, carpark needs resurfacing.

Some littering. Suffers from irresponsible dog-walkers and

vandalism. Leased from Cornwall Council. Proposals for

development have recently been considered.

Porthmeor Bowling

Green

0.16 Well maintained bowling green with clubhouse and disabled

access. Ample seating, planted borders and scenic views.

Lacks spectator shelter. Used by Porthmeor Bowling Club and

visitors. CC owned.

Porthmeor Putting

Green

0.17 Linear putting green adjacent to bowling green. CC owned.

Halsetown Football

Club

0.72 Basic facilities include field, posts with no nets and parking in

pub carpark. Lot of litter, poor signage, no spectator provision.

Field currently unused.

Belyars Bowling Green

St Ives Bowling Club

0.35 CC owned bowling green with ample seating & picnic tables.

Facilities include club house, changing rooms, 2 short mats

and viewing area. Large parking area.


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Tregenna Golf Course 29.39 Stunning hill top location with wooded valleys, sea views over

St Ives and beautifully maintained 14 hole golf course. Other

facilities include a lush botanical garden designed by John

Moreland, and a woodland walk. Tregenna Castle welcomes

visitors to it's cafe, bar, restaurant and picnic areas.

Membership or timeshare ownership required for access to

tennis courts, pool & gym.

St Ives School

St Ives Cricket Club

3.75h

a

1.52h

a

St Ives Technology College permits public access out of school

hours to several sports clubs and groups. Cricket pitch and

pavilion used by St Ives CC . Hockey club use court or gym if

wet. The school also lets a yoga group and Tae Kwondo group

use the gym & changing facilities. Field not used. (3.75ha)

West Cornwall Golf

Club, Lelant

28.53 Oldest golf club in Cornwall – 100yrs old. Beautiful, dunal, 18

hole golf course and driving range on Lelant Towans.

Restricted access for members only, and visiting players must

have a handicap. Dress Code compulsory. Excellent facilities

including club house & restaurant, separate male & female

pavilions with changing provision & showers and ample

parking.Public footpath bisects the course.

Lelant Saltings - St

Ives Town Football

Club

1.92 Site located adjacent to park & ride. Used by St Ives AFC &

schools. Open public access. Lacks spectator shelter, lighting

and adequate changing facilities. New clubhouse, large gate

locked, small gate unlocked. Adjacent field used as overflow

car park in summer. Has potential as play area. Site leased

from CC.

Primrose Valley Tennis

Courts - St Ives

Tennis Club

0.14 Two enclosed tennis courts with mini court and clubhouse with

views over Porthminster beach. Gates locked. Keys issued to

club members and access to the public by arrangement

through Primrose Valley Hotel 795221. Tuition available.


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Parks and Gardens

Parks & formal gardens

Name Size

(Ha)

Description

Trewyn Sub-Tropical

Gardens

0.2 Small, hidden garden beautifully planted borders and

mature trees. Bird boxes, sculpture and seating. Access

requires short but steep climb. Useful cut-through for

pedestrians to St Ives back streets. Owned by CC

Memorial Gardens 0.67 Memorial garden within heart of St Ives. Well planted

borders, and attractive trees. Shelter locked. Bin

inappropriately placed within focal point of garden.

Numerous signage banning alcohol. Dogs prohibited.

Barbara Hepworth

Garden

0.06 Stunning garden, studio and gallery full of exciting Hepworth

statues of wood, stone and bronze. Linked with the Tate

Gallery. Admission fee.

Chy-An -Gweal 0.39 Extremely well maintained sloping, formal garden with

planted borders and ornamental trees : all in good

condition. Steps into garden limit accessibility, no shelter.

Dogs prohibited. Adjacent parking.

Churchyards and Cemeteries

Open & closed

Name Size

(Ha)

Description

Barnoon Cemetery 2.01 Dramatic hill top cemetery over-looking St Ives. Some

bench seating to appreciate views. Adjacent parking. Open

green space at top used as a play area. Footpath through

cemetery.

St Ia Parish Church

Cemetery

0.16 Elevated, hidden green oasis with attractive planting within

the heart of St Ives surrounding the church. No ball games

signs. Some dog mess. No seating. Only 1 of 3 gates

unlocked. Occasionally used – scope for greater use.


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St John's in the Fields 0.62 Large sloping 'field' with wooded area, grassland and

unimproved grassland. Popular walkway linking different

residential areas. Impressively sized church with children's

nursery at rear.

Longstone Cemetery 2.43 Beautifully landscaped and very well maintained 'open'

cemetery with planted borders, ornamental trees and

lawned areas. Facilities include, chapel and toilet, parking,

information boards, water points and bins. Shelter and

seating area neglected; composting area.

St Uny Churchyard,

Lelant

1.31 Pretty coastal churchyard with mature trees and bench

seating. Part of site left wild within the 'Living Churchyards'

scheme and is an important habitat for a rare bee colony.

Popular footpath (St Michael's Way) cuts through churchyard

to Porthkidney beach.

Natural & semi natural greenspaces

Including woodlands, scrub, nature reserves, grassland (e.g. downlands, commons and

meadows), wetlands, headlands, open & running water, wastelands and derelict open

land and rock areas (e.g. cliffs, quarries and pits).

Name Size

(Ha)

Description

Man's Head 0.79 Headland grassland with ample bench seating of three

different styles, dog bins and large shelter to enjoy views

over Porthmeor and the Island. Dog mess. Needs more

litter bins.

The Island 5.2 St Ives's headland is popular with walkers keen to enjoy

breathtaking views and to explore chapel. Also home to

National Coastguard Institute and remainder of gun turrets.

Numerous benches are placed to enjoy sea views.

Occasionally used as an outdoor entertainment venue.

However, path isn't continuous right to chapel: restricting

access for pushchairs / wheelchairs. Information panel at

adjoining car park. Covenant restricts expansion of car park.


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Steeple Woodlands 17.47 Local nature reserve enthusiastically adopted by the local

community to reinstate site as a wood & heathland habitat.

Site has been cleared of the invasive rhododendron and re-

planting of saplings by various community groups continues.

Heritage Lottery Grant has enabled the clearing of the area

and for continual maintenance. Problem with litter.

Carnstabba Hill ? Open hillside with unmaintained rough pasture and scrub.

Interesting rock features. Footpath to from Palemon Best

Recreation Ground to the hill top. Most of the area is a

County Wildlife Site. Used by walkers and dog walkers.

Scrub in need of management.

Anne's Wood, Lelant 0.68 Small, hillocky, natural woodland managed by the Woodland

Trust adjacent to Lelant Station. Mature trees predominantly

beech & sycamore, with fallen trees left for increased

biodiversity. Characterised by numerous pathways, some

littering etc

Longstone Plantation 2.01 CC owned plantation with dead or dying pine trees which are

earmarked for removal. Access is discouraged due to

condition of trees. Deciduous tree cover of oak, beech,

sweet chestnut and holly have regenerated part of the wood

which would benefit from further enhancement. Has

potential to become a community woodland. Access into

and within wood is poor.

Porthminster Gardens 0.72 Popular steep walkway forming part of Coast Path cuts

through cliff-top woodland down to Porthminster beach.

Numerous benches line path and there is a cliff area with a

picnic table and further seating. Lots of bat & bird boxes in

the trees. Local residents have formed the Porthminster

Action Group to assist in managing this natural wood and

scrubland. It is maintained by conservation volunteers -

TCV and West Cornwall Green Gym.


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Porthminster Point ? Area of headland to the south of Porthminster Beach,

covered with grass, scrub and rocks. Pedestrian access via

footbridge over railway. Informal path leads to coastal

woodland further along coast to Carbis Bay. Difficult access

to rocky cove beach below. Owned by National Trust, with

CC owning the shoreline.

Bussow Reservoir 4.39 SW lakes managed coarse fishery/ reservoir with good on

site information, portaloo, integral parking and 14 landing

stages. Very natural area, high in biodiversity with well

maintained pathway. Popular with holidaymakers and locals.

No disabled provision, seating or bins. Litter free. Fishing

licence needed. Slopes to lake are mostly steps.

Nance Lakes 4.2 Stunningly beautiful natural area with three lakes stocked

suitable for coarse fishing. Privately run. Good disabled

access to landings around the competition lake. Bin

provided. Pay for daily licence. Popular with holiday makers.

Lacks site information.

Amenity Greenspace

(most commonly, but not exclusively in and around housing areas)-including informal

recreational spaces, green spaces in & around housing, domestic & village greens.

Name Size

(Ha)

Description

The 'Rec' 0.25 Former play area, with equipment long since removed.

Isolated field landscaped on several levels with concealed

access along stony footpath. Would benefit from new

pathways, equipment, seating etc. CC owned.

Ayr Field 0.4 Large community greenspace. Leased by CC to the Ayr Field

Community Group to share maintenance and improve the

site. Needs seating, signage, WCs, tree planting etc. Scout

hut in top corner.


82

Porthminster Gardens 0.86 Beautifully, sustainably, planted borders include palms,

agapanthus and formiums around central mini golf green in

excellent condition with new flags and hole markers. Basic

exercise equipment. Excellent facilities include restaurant,

shop & cafe with toilets nearby. Abundant picnic benches

and seating along pathways. Access is extremely good with

flat, wide pathways and the nearby locality of both train and

bus terminals and a car park. Terraced veggie patch on

slope below railway.

Norway Square 0.01 Small, planted, seated area within residential area in north

end of St Ives. Bin space at one end. Adequate seating.

Public footpath either side. Valuable amenity space in need

of improvement.

The Malakoff 0.1 Exposed viewing area at entrance to St Ives with panoramic

views, ample seating, planted flower beds, Hepworth

sculpture & flag pole. Concrete slabs ugly, some slates

damaged and structural cracks in boundary wall.

Treloyhan Park Road 0.03 Oval greenspace with mature trees creates visual amenity

within high quality residential area.

St John's Walk 0.16 CC owned & maintained residential greenspaces (x3). Good

sized plots creating spaces for play and visual pleasure

within the St John's walk housing area.

Trenwith Fields 0.56 Two sloping fields below Trenwith Burrows. Enjoys

panoramic views over St Ives and out to Godrevy

lighthouse. Some planting could be extended along

roadside to form attractive barrier. Site would benefit from

some seating and tree planting.

Alan Harvey Close Open green space for play.

Mike Peters Estate Open green space for play. No equipment or seating.

Bisected by footpath leading to Corva Farm.

Venton Vision 0.01 Token amenity space- too small for any real purpose.

Excessively dominated by wooden fencing. Gate-catch

broken, grass very long and some littering.


83

Consols Pond Pond and surrounding green space, which has been a

culturally important area for generations. ‘Consols Pond Day’

still takes place every year.

Allotments

-including community gardens and urban farms

Site Ha Description

Carthew

Allotments

0.11

appr

ox

5 coastal plots which require minimal management by private owner

with plots changing hands by word of mouth rather than any formal

management. Plots all in well attended condition. Difficult moorland

access, hidden location and locked gates all discourage trespassers.

Trowan

Allotments

? Approx 70 plots. Restricted access because of out of town location.

Contact Town Council to apply.

Palemon Best

Community

Orchard

Newly planted trees in 2013 within recreation ground and on the edge

of Carnstabba.

Civic Spaces

Including civic and market squares, and other hard surface areas designed for

pedestrians.

Guildhall

Forecourt

St Ives War

Memorial

Lelant War

Memorial

Westcotts Quay Triangular seating area adjacent to Arts club with benches

and low granite wall overlooking harbour.


84

Pedn Olva Walk Triangular seating area with railings, granite kerbstones and

benches overlooking Porthminster Beach. Below is a

rectangular area and below that, covered benches and an

open platform. There is also a covered seating area beneath

Pedn Olva Hotel. There is also the open area, set back from

the walkway, providing an attractive relief in the built

environment between Porthminster Gallery and the cottages

lining Pednolva Walk and opening the vista to the sea.

The Warren Between Porthminster and Pedn Olva, long narrow seating

area bordered by stone hedges on roadside and concrete

posts with rails and chains. A few trees on the beach side.

St Ia Well Triangular open space of cobbles and granite, with flower

beds set into the hillside is a covered seating area. Views

over Porthmeor Beach.

Wharf Road, next

to Lodges

Small seating areas, very popular in summer.

Smeaton’s Pier

seating areas

Several seating areas at start of pier.

Huer’s Hut Sheltered seating area on Hain Walk next to Huer’s Hut.

St Michael's Way

Starting at St Uny Church the trail passes through the golf course, a long the dunes above

Porth Kidney beach. The path passes through trees known as The Nut Grove, and then

around Hawks Point. Follow the path to Carbis Bay where it heads inland up the track of

Wheal Margery and cross the main St Ives road. The trail then travels up Steeple Lane to

Knill's Steeple through the woods to Laity Lane and on to Trencrom. The trail is well signed

posted using the traditional Pilgrim's symbol of the scallop shell.

Coastal Path

The coast path enters the parish at Grigg’s Quay Lelant and continues westward along Lelant

Saltings, Porthkidney and Carbis Bay then continues along Hain Walk and down through

Porthminster Gardens to Porthminster beach. Walkers can explore St Ives before rejoining

the coast path at Man's Head along the cliffs to Zennor.


85

Beaches

Name of Beach Area of

beach above

MHW & MLW

Description & facilities.

Porthmeor Beach 10.21 Large, sandy north coast beach with Blue Flag status. Good

conditions for surfing prevail. Seasonal lifeguard cover and

dog ban. Information board. WCs nearby.

Porthgwidden

Beach

0.64 Small, sandy cove with safe bathing within the buoys. No

life guard cover just rescue equipment. WCs nearby.

Seasonal dog ban.

Harbour Beach 0.71 Sheltered beach within a working harbour in the heart of the

town. Perfect sun-trap within the heart of the town. No life

guard cover, only rescue equipment. Seasonal dog ban.

Porthminster

Beach

5.07 Beach with seasonal life guard and dog ban. Information

board. WCs nearby.

Carbis Bay Beach 11.20 Large sandy beach with Blue Flag status (2013). WCs

nearby. Seasonal life guard and dog ban. Information

board.

Porth Kidney 62.23 Vast beach with sand dunes. Dogs allowed. Life guard in

attendance during peak season and rescue equipment.

Dangerous currents in Hayle estuary. Information board.

Part of SSSI.

Bamaluz Beach Tidal cove beach with sand exposed at low tide. Dogs

allowed. Difficult access down steps.

New Pier Beach Tidal sandy beach not accessible at high tide. Dogs allowed.

Westcotts/Lambe

th

Small boulder strewn beach. Dogs allowed. Difficult access

down steps.

All beaches are linked by the Coast Path.


86

Green Corridors

Including river banks and cycleways

Site Ha Description

Carbis Valley 1.62 Deep tree-lined valley with stream leading down to the sea. Forms a

wildlife corridor and green oasis within the heavily developed Carbis

Bay residential area. Circular, public footpath links St Ives Road to

Carbis Bay beach. Good tree species mix. Path very steep &

hazardous in places. Privately owned.

Laity Lane Wooded area adjoining the road from junction at Trencrom Lane.

Manor Walk 0.44 Included due to its dual role as a 'green finger', important for wildlife

migration and as a visual amenity leading down to St Ives. On the

roadside, sustainably planted beds and well maintained stone wall

backs onto a natural woodland finger which continues down to

Treloyan Manor and nearby Tregenna. Owned by CC.

The Burrows 0.88 Extremely steep, wooded cliff with no public access, included for its

importance visually and for its wildlife value. Predominant species

include sycamore, buddleia and gorse. Privately owned.

Open Areas relating to settlements – Policy TV-2

This is a specific designation identified in the Local Plan. It relates to areas which are

important in terms of their close relationship with the towns and villages. These areas

may be within a settlement and make a valuable contribution to the wider environmental

value of their locality by providing an open aspect and offering some tranquillity in

otherwise built up surroundings. The value of such areas is not necessarily dependent

on public access, it is their visual and environmental contribution to the overall scene

which makes them so valuable. They also frequently provide valuable habitats for

wildlife.

Name Polygon

No.

Description

BELOW BEACH

ROAD,

ST. IVES

29 This area provides a gradual transition between the western

urban edge of the town and the coastal scenery of the Area

of Outstanding Natural Beauty, effectively extending the

coastal strip right into the town.


87

THE ISLAND,

ST. IVES

37 The Island is an environmental, historical and amenity

feature of great importance in St Ives. It is highly visible

and forms an integral part of the panorama and character of

the townscape. The area is the only open space of any size

within the town.

TRENWITH,

ST. IVES

40 This area forms a green wedge in this part of St Ives

between the high density housing of the Penbeagle area and

the more recent development in the Belyars area, extending

the countryside into the urban area.

TREGENNA,

ST. IVES

30 This area forms a significant green break within residential

development and includes the grounds of Tregenna Castle

Hotel containing a large number of mature trees.

Considerable residential development has taken place on the

northern edge of Carbis Bay and the open area now

constitutes a clear break between this development and the

main built up area of St Ives. This area forms a highly

prominent and attractive local landmark particularly from

the Island and harbour area of the town.

LAND

ABOVE

PORTHMINSTER

BEACH, ST. IVES

5 This steeply rising wooded area provides an important green

wedge which effectively extends the wooded feature of

Tregenna right down to the foreshore. The land form helps

to define the town and contain the scatter of terraces and

dispersed dwellings at its edge.

TRELOYHAN,

ST. IVES

6 This wooded area around Treloyhan Manor forms an

attractive break in residential development that

complements the open area at Tregenna, and visually

extends the wooded area down to the foreshore.

CARBIS

VALLEY,

CARBIS BAY

36 This attractive sheltered wooded valley is an important

amenity feature in the locality, providing a green space

within the built up surroundings.

BEDFORD ROAD

GARDENS

This significant block of private gardens provides an

important green area in town linking with Trewyn Gardens

and the Hepworth Garden.


88

5. WELLBEING, SPORTS & LEISURE




5.1 Sport England


Sport England is focused on helping people and communities across the country create a

sporting habit for life .... projects that will:

Help more people have a sporting habit for life

Create more opportunities for young people to play sport

Nurture and develop talent

Provide the right facilities in the right places

Children & young people

Our sport development work for young people is ambitious, innovative and is a

significant part of our current strategy 'Creating a sporting habit for life' (2012-2017).

Our aim is to create a behavioural change in young people by helping them find a sport

they love and want to be part of for a long time. Our overall target is to raise the

percentage of 14-25 year olds playing sport for at least 30 minutes each week. Our

funding is invested creatively through a range of significant partners including national

governing bodies, county sport partnerships and other education, sport and community

organisations.

Sport England also wants to ensure that all young people are kept safe and enjoy their

activities so we invest in the Child Protection in Sport Unit, whose remit is to help

children play sport, stay safe, enjoy and achieve.

Get on Track uses sport to create a brighter future for some of the country's most

marginalised young people. Sport England has invested £6.9 million into the programme

which is run by the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. Over the next four years Get on Track will

engage with more than 3,000 vulnerable young people aged between 16 and 25 and

provide them with a stepping stone into community sport. Over a 16 session period

each young person will be supported through a tailored sport and personal development

programme by a team of Olympic, Paralympic, World and Commonwealth athlete

mentors.


https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-governing-bodies/

https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-governing-bodies/

https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/local-work/county-sports-partnerships/

https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/national-work/national-partners/child-protection-in-sport-unit/


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The young people are able to choose from a range of sports that are offered through the

programme and are expected to take part in at least one sport activity during each of

the 16 sessions. To encourage them to keep playing sport, athlete mentors work with

the young people to explore how sport can fit into their everyday lives and how they can

get involved locally.

Many of the young people supported by the programme have a history of being

disengaged from formal structures so Get on Track also supports and trains local clubs

and coaches to understand the needs of the young people, therefore making it easier for

the Get on Track graduates to make the transition into community sport.

The programme also supports the wider outcomes of moving young people into

employment and training.

Sportivate is a £56 million Lottery funded London 2012 legacy project that gives more

young people the chance to discover a sport that they love. The programme gives 14-25

year-olds who are not particularly sporty access to six-to-eight weeks' of free or

subsidised coaching in a range of sports. There’s a wide range of activities on offer

including judo, golf, tennis, wakeboarding, athletics, and parkour/free running. During

the six-to-eight weeks those taking part can work towards an event or personal

challenge and when the free or low-cost coaching has finished they will be supported to

continue playing sport.

Sportivate launched in June 2011 as a four-year programme aimed at 14-25 year-olds

but, due to its success, additional funding of £10m per year has been invested allowing

the programme to run until March 2017. From September 2013, Sportivate is extending

its age group so that 11-13 year-olds can also take part. Sportivate is inclusive and

targets a variety of young people including those who have a disability and people from

black and minority ethnic groups.

Disability

We know that disabled people are less likely to take part in sport with only one in six

playing sport regularly compared to one in three non-disabled people. Our work will

seek to challenge and change this to enable disabled people to view taking part in sport

as a viable lifestyle choice. Through our investment in disability sport, we’re helping

ensure sport is ready to deal with disabled people wanting to take part. As well as our

major investment into sports’ governing bodies, including four disability-specific NGBs,

we’ve made sure every element of our £150 million Places People Play legacy

programme works for disabled sportsmen and women.


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Of the £150 million of Lottery funding from Places People Play, we ring-fenced £10.2

million to improve the sport on offer for disabled people. Inclusive Sport will build on

our recent investments to improve the expertise offered by the disability sport sector to

other organisations that want to get disabled people playing sport.

Participation by disabled people is a key strategic outcome for our work with NGB’s. We

have been working closely with all 46 sports’ governing bodies to offer support and

advice around disability provision to benefit both the organisation, the workforce and

their overall Whole Sport Plan delivery for 2013-17.

Of the 42 NGB’s who have committed to deliver to disabled people, 15 of them will

provide disability-specific programmes and interventions and 23 of them have committed

to delivering inclusively. We have also invested in four disability-specific Paralympic

NGB’s.

Partners We’ve recently announced almost £2million investment into the English Federation of

Disability Sport (EFDS) to help accelerate their strategy to increase sports participation

over 2013-15. We have also directly funded six disability sports organisations for the

first time to advise, support and guide other sports governing bodies as they create

opportunities for participation by disabled people. British Blind Sport, Cerebral Palsy

Sport, Dwarf Sport Association UK, British Wheelchair Sport (Wheelpower), UK Deaf

Sport and Mencap Sport/Special Olympics GB all received a share of £1.3 million of

National Lottery funding to make this happen. As part of our commitment towards

ensuring that disabled people are able to view being active as a viable lifestyle choice we

will also be developing our relationships with the disability sector directly.

5.2 Cornwall Design Guide

Cornwall Council, 2012

3.6 Facilities & services

Does the development provide (or is it close to) community facilities, such as shops,

schools, workplaces, parks, play areas, pubs or cafes?

Are there enough facilities and services in the local area to support the development? If

not, what is needed?

3.7 Where new facilities are proposed

Are these facilities what the area needs?

Are these new facilities located in the right place? If not, where should they go?

https://www.sportengland.org/funding/our-different-funds/inclusive-sport/


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We recommend:

Planning development so that everyday facilities and services are located within a

short walk of people’s homes. The layout of a development and the quality of

connections it provides can make a significant impact on walking distances and

people’s travel choices;

Providing access to facilities through the provision of safe, convenient and direct

paths or cycle routes. Consider whether there are any barriers to pedestrian/cycle

access (for example, busy roads with a lack of crossing points) and how these

barriers can be removed or lessened;

Locating new facilities (if provided) where the greatest number of existing and

new residents can access them easily, recognising that this may be at the edge of

a new development or on a through route; but consider whether existing facilities

can be enhanced before proposing new ones;

Where new local centres are provided, design these as vibrant places with smaller

shops combined with residential accommodation above rather than for example, a

single storey, single use supermarket building. Work to integrate these facilities

into the fabric of the wider development to avoid creating an isolated retail park

type environment dominated by car parking and highways infrastructure; and

Creating new places within a development where people can meet each other

such as public spaces, community buildings, cafes and restaurants. Aim to get

these delivered as early as possible. Think carefully about how spaces could be

used and design them with flexibility in mind, considering where more active (and

noisier) spaces should be located so as to avoid creating potential for conflict

between users and adjacent residents.

We recommend that you avoid:

• Locating play areas directly in front of people’s homes where they may

become a source of tension;

• Carefully consider the distance between play equipment and homes in

addition to the type of play equipment selected and the target age group; and

• Creating the potential for future conflict if residential uses and commercial

premises are not combined thoughtfully.


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5.3 Planning Future Cornwall: Growth Factors Hayle and St

Ives Community Network Area

Cornwall Local Development Framework

Cornwall Council, February 2013

Primary Education: St Ives Junior, St Ives Infant and St Uny are the primary schools

serving St Ives & Carbis Bay. They currently have the capacity to accommodate 660

pupils. It is estimated that the proposed development (i.e. 1 primary age pupil per 9

new dwellings) will raise the number of primary school age pupils by about 80. The local

authority’s pupil population forecasts indicate a falling number on roll at the schools with

a combined surplus of 70 places anticipated for 2014. Consequently in the short term

there is capacity within the primary schools to accommodate some development. A

review of capacity for the longer term will be undertaken once growth proposals for the

area are identified.

Secondary Education: St Ives School is the secondary school serving the town and has

a capacity to accommodate 750 pupils. It is estimated that the proposed development

(i.e. 1 secondary age pupil per 9 new dwellings) will raise the number of secondary

school age pupils by about 80. In line with the general trend across the county for a fall

in secondary pupil numbers, forecasts predict that the school should be able to

accommodate the additional pupils within existing provision in the short term. A review

of capacity for the longer term will be undertaken once growth proposals for the area are

identified.

Specialist & Safeguarding: this encompasses special education needs, disability and

Inclusion; social work and family support. A need has been identified in the ex Penwith

area for:

A nurture unit to support children with challenging behaviour at Key Stages 1 and

2

A resource base to support children with severe and complex learning difficulties

at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4

Support for hearing impaired children

New play facilities for disabled children within the Aiming High agenda

Co-location premises for family support

Replacement of St Ives Youth Centre which is too small and no longer fit for

purpose.


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Schedule


Primary education

St Ives / Carbis Bay: Primary school provision

St Ives / Carbis Bay expansion of existing - 120 places

timescale 1016 - 20

to meet local needs

cost £2,940,000

CIL secured developer contributions

further funding is required

planning permission, funding package

planned

GP surgeries

Stennack surgery would like to expand. Up to one new doctor may be required to

meet the demands from growth

timescale 2016 - 20

to meet local needs

cost unknown

private / public funding

funding needs identifying

identified through Town Framework

5.5 Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-2028: Shaping

Cornwall’s Future

Cornwall Strategy Partnership, Autumn 2008

We are aiming for Cornwall to be a place where:

our people are healthy and happy

families thrive and fewer people live in poverty

everybody is loved, respected and supported

the focus is on the belief that prevention is better than cure

Communities and Culture

our towns and villages are vibrant, safe and friendly communities


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we celebrate our differences, know and care about our neighbours, address

division and treat one another with dignity and respect

we encourage participation in volunteering and foster good citizenship

we can all play, enjoy our landscape, value and learn from our past, practice

spirituality, share stories and cultures, and shape our future

we live culturally rich lives, participating in the arts, leisure and sports




Theme 4: The St Ives community

Our objective is to ensure that all members of the community are able to be housed

appropriately, have appropriate healthcare and support, enjoy leisure and recreation

facilities and can live safely and with pride in their home and their surroundings.

8. Develop beach facilities

To secure & maintain quality beach facilities for residents & visitors, that are consistent

with sustaining the character of St Ives

‘Beaching’ is an essential ingredient in the St Ives experience & St Ives offers superb

beaches that meet a variety of needs, from family beaches to very popular surfing

beaches. In order to ensure that all beach users, including those with disabilities, are

fully catered for, this project surveys the facilities, access & safety issues for all our

beaches & makes recommendations as to appropriate & immediate priorities &

improvements & suggests a long-term development plan for beach amenities. We will

work with the local authorities & environment agencies to encourage the development of

sympathetic & intelligent facilities on St Ives beaches.

10. Improving the cleanliness, safety & hygiene of the town & surrounding

areas

To meet visitors’ & residents’ key demands to keep the area free of litter, dog-waste &

overflowing rubbish bins; to minimise incidents of seagull nuisance. To implement

measures designed to minimise damage from graffiti & other forms of environmental

vandalism.


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St Ives accumulates a great deal of rubbish from visitors, restaurants & take-away

outlets & this is seen on the streets, beaches & footpaths. Seagulls contribute to the

problems by scattering rubbish as they scavenge & by directly snatching food from the

hands of unsuspecting visitors.

This project is concerned with the way in which litter, rubbish & dog-waste are collected

& disposed of & the frequency of such collections. A key part of this project is to review

existing arrangements for street cleaning & removal of graffiti, to ensure clean litter-free

streets & encourage respect for the environment. The recycling of waste in public areas

will be encouraged & facilities sought to achieve this.

Education is also seen as a longer-term tool to address these issues & we will work with

our schools to introduce a programme of environmental awareness.

Social & community issues

fear of closure of Edward Hain Hospital

no local sixth form college

concern over future of leisure centre; future of library

inadequate facilities for young people

Comments from young people

beach facilities should include showers

surfing culture seemed to negate any other considerations for ‘youth’ facilities

need to travel in order to access certain sports & leisure facilities

St Ives leisure centre not young person friendly

amusement arcade was the main place (out of season) where they could meet

local gardens were locations for smoking & drinking

Penbeagle estate is an unattractive area

rubbish-filled smelly alleyways

poor retail provision for younger age-group

no venues for music gigs

shabby cinema

Island centre inadequate

(lack of skate park - since provided)


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6. TRANSPORT




6.1 Office for National Statistics

Vehicle ownership

The 2011 Census shows that in the St Ives area, 48% of households have a car or van,

and 28% have two or more cars or vans, with 25% of households having no vehicle at

all. The average level of car/van ownership in the St Ives area is 1.12 per household and

has increased in the ten years since the previous census in 2001 by 14%. This

represents a significantly faster increase in level of car ownership than nationally

(England) of 5.4% and higher than the average of 13% for Cornwall – a rising trend in

level of car ownership in the St Ives area ahead of national trend and above the average

for Cornwall.

6.2 Department of Transport


In a survey conducted by Thornton for the DoT, 63 percent of respondents found cycling

on roads to be stressful, 63 percent also thought it would be too dangerous for them to

cycle on the roads and 53 percent said they would cycle more if there were more

dedicated cycle paths. Source: Thornton et al produced a report for the Department for

Transport in July 2011, "Climate Change and Transport Choices"

In a Sustrans 2012 survey more than half (56 per cent) of us fear urban roads are

unsafe to cycle on and 70 per cent want residential speed limits to be dropped to 20

miles per hour to make them safer. Sixty five per cent of those that don't cycle regularly

would be more likely to cycle on the roads if they were made safer through changes like

lower speed limits, more marked cycle lanes and more care taken by drivers and other

cyclists, according to this survey.



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6.3 Road Traffic Flows - A3074 Lelant


St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan 2014

Cornwall Council has provided information on traffic flow on A3074 through Lelant to and

from St Ives/Carbis Bay:

Long term time series of Average Daily Flows for 1996 to 2012;

Details of hourly traffic flows for some weeks in 2010 and 2012.

Cornwall Council have indicated that they only measure traffic flows on A3074 on bi-

annual basis, with years in between estimated from the overall traffic flows in Cornwall.

Cornwall Council has indicated that they expect to be measuring actual traffic flows on

A3074 in 2014.

In the absence of any more up to date information than 2012 on traffic flows, members

of the Neighbourhood Development Plan team have undertaken some spot checking of

hourly traffic flows on A3074 in Lelant in 2014.

Long term trend 1996 to 2012

Annual average daily traffic flow on A3074 in Lelant has been steadily rising from under

10,000 to over 11,000 vehicles per day.

The trend in the average daily traffic

flow is an increase of 130 vehicles

each year for the period 1996 to

2012. The summer weekday traffic

flows fluctuated around a mean of

15,176 vehicles per day with only a

marginal trend upwards.

On average over the period the

summer weekday traffic flows are

43% higher than the annual daily

average. With the summer weekday

flow remaining virtually flat and the

increase in the annual average daily

flow the ratio of summer to annual

A3074 Lelant - Traffic Flows 1996 to 2012

Year AADT* Summer Weekday Summer Weekday/AADT

1996 9,900 15,700 1.59

1997 9,900 14,800 1.49

1998 9,200 13,900 1.51

1999 9,300 14,400 1.55

2000 9,800 14,900 1.52

2001 10,200 15,400 1.51

2002 10,600 15,700 1.48

2003 10,900 16,100 1.48

2004 11,400 15,800 1.39

2005 11,500 16,200 1.41

2006 10,800 15,300 1.42

2007 10,900 15,300 1.40

2008 11,000 14,500 1.32

2009 11,200 14,900 1.33

2010 11,700 15,600 1.33

2011 11,600 15,200 1.31

2012 11,100 14,300 1.29

Average 10,647 15,176 1.43

* AADT = Annual Average Daily Traffic.

All flows above are 24 hour, two way traffic.


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average flow has declined from over 1.5 to around 1.3

The indication is that the rise in the annual average daily traffic flow is due to a general

increase in traffic flows during all periods of the year and is not attributable to any

increase in traffic flows during the summer period.

Hourly Traffic Flows March, August and October 2010 and 2012

Between 81% and 88% of daily traffic flow takes place in the 12 hours of the day

between 0700 and 1900 with average of around 85%.

Annual average daily flow of 10,647 = average 444 vehicle/hr (24h:0000-2300) and

average 754/hr (12h:0700-1900)

Summer weekday flow of 15,176 = average 632 vehicles/hr (24h:0000-2300) and

average 1,075/hr (12h:0700-1900)

During the summer traffic flows remain relatively light during the early morning hours of

0700-1000, with flows during the other 9 hours running consistently at over 1,000

vehicles per hour, which is a vehicle every 3.6 seconds.

During August 2010 and 2012, the average flow was 969-986 vehicles per hour and only

dropped to 783 -793 per hour during October and ran at 819 vehicles per hour in March

- April 2012.

August 2012 and 2014

Traffic flows in the spot checks during August 2014 were higher than the hourly

averages measured over 7 days during August 2012. The hourly flows in 2014 ranged

from 0 to 29 % higher than 7 day averages in 2012.

Measured over the 12 hours from 0700-1900, the traffic flows in spot check in August

2014 were 8% higher than in 2012.

In the August 2014 spot check, the average hourly flow during the hours 0700 to 1900

was 1,047 vehicles per hour, which compares with the average hourly flow in August

2012 during hours 0700 to 1900 of 969 vehicles per hour.


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October 2012 and 2014

Traffic flows in the spot checks during October 2014 taken during weekdays were higher

than the hourly averages measured over 5 weekdays during October 2012. The hourly

flows in 2014 ranged from 2% to 21% higher than the 5 day averages in 2012.

Measured over the 12 hours from 0700-1900, the traffic flows in spot checks in October

2014 during weekdays were 13% higher than in weekdays in 2012. In the October

2014 spot check, the average hourly flow during hours 0700 to 1900 was 919 vehicles

per hour which compares with the average hourly flow in October 2012 during hours

0700 to 1900 of 816 vehicles per hour.

Summary:

Hourly traffic flow August 2012 969 vehicles per hour between 0700-1900

Hourly traffic flow August 2014 1,047 vehicles per hour between 0700-1900

Hourly traffic flow October 2012 816 vehicles per hour between 0700-1900

Hourly traffic flow October 2014 919 vehicles per hour between 0700-1900


Schedule


St Ives town-wide cycling and walking network

town wide walking and cycling network including signage to reintegrate fore street

with the harbour pedestrian. Crossings by Village Hall, Lelant, new development at

Carbis Bay and St Ives harbour

no timeframe identified

to improve access to sustainable transport

cost £374,000.00

anticipated developer contributions

funding needs identifying (anticipated that developer will fund)

funding package

in Transport 2012-30 funding programme

Road schemes - A3074 Porthrepta / Trencrom Lane, St Ives

detail awaited

timescale 2016 - 20

to improve traffic flow


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cost unknown

on site delivery

funding package


Signage scheme, St Ives

signage scheme to deter traffic from going into St Ives town centre; plus signage for

Fore Street

timescale 2012 - 15


cost £1,500


funding to be identified, anticipated developer will fund

in Transport 2012 - 17 funding package

Vehicle management system, St Ives

VMS for St Ives parking strategy

timescale 2016 - 20


cost £290,000



funding package

in Transport 2012 - 17 funding programme

Rail schemes - St Ives rail station improvements

access & facilities at 3 stations

no timeframe identified

to improve access to sustainable transport

cost £450,000




Car Parking - St Erth park & ride

also known as the West Cornwall Transport Interchange, St Erth emerged from

Penwith Parking Solutions Feasibility Study as optimum location to develop a park &

ride scheme that would assist with meeting the broader economic, environmental &


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accessibility objectives for Penzance, St Ives & Hayle. .... It also improves conditions

for growth by enhancing infrastructure capacity & improving access

timescale 2010 - 15

to offer alternative methods of travel into major towns in the area & reduce traffic

congestion

cost £9,900,000

Connecting Cornwall ERDF Convergence Network Rail & other funding

in Connecting Cornwall Implementation Plan - programmed for delivery

6.5 Connecting Cornwall: 2030. Moving Towards a Green

Peninsular


Objectives of Cornwall Council's transport strategy are:

Encouraging healthy active lifestyles

Encourage healthy active lifestyles by providing people with the opportunity to

walk and cycle

Improve the health of our communities through provision for active travel

Increase awareness and an understanding of the health benefits of walking and

cycling

Supporting community safety and individual wellbeing

Improve road safety

Increase public confidence in a safer transport network

Concerns over safety are possibly the biggest barrier to people using cycles for either

transport or recreation. Unless a safer environment can be provided for cycling then it is

unlikely that Cornwall Council would be able to achieve its objectives of promoting good

health and well and its vision of achieving a leading position in sustainable living.

6.6 Cornwall Retail Study

Cornwall Council, November 2010

Accessibility

4.79 St Ives is situated on the west coast of Cornwall, located close to Hayle and the

A30 trunk road. When driving to the town centre, car parking is available at the following

locations, which during the peak holiday months can become very congested:


102

• Barnoon – 214 spaces

• Porthmeor – 36 spaces

• Station car park – 198 spaces

• Sloop car park – 36 spaces

• Island car park – 151 spaces

• Trenwith – 985 spaces

• Park Avenue – 76 spaces

• Porthgwidden – 103 spaces

• Wheal Dream – 22 spaces

• Westcotts Quay – 7 spaces

• Smeaton’s Pier – 30 spaces.

4.80 The railway station in St Ives is located a short walk to the south of the town

centre and provides half-hourly services which link the town to St Erth to the south,

where changes can be made to the main line between Penzance and areas to the east.

4.81 A regular bus service visits St Ives (via Carbis Bay), which links the town to Hayle,

Camborne, Redruth, Penzance and Truro. Due to the narrow street pattern, the service

stops close to the railway station. There are also other bus services which link St Ives

and Carbis Bay to the various holiday parks and camps in the local area.


Schedule


Transportation: Assessments are being undertaken to assess the impact of the growth

proposals on the highway network. This work will assist in identifying where potential

problems will occur and will form the basis of developing the transport strategy for Hayle

and St Ives that will support the predicted levels of housing and employment growth.

.... Additional parking and congestion pressures are experienced especially in St Ives by

visitors during key visitor months. With the levels of growth proposed, problems would

occur at .... the A3074 through St Ives (Porthrepta Road and Higher Tregenna) ....

The transport measures that will be brought forward as part of a comprehensive

transport strategy for the towns will be based on the policies set out in Connecting

Cornwall: 2030. Connecting Cornwall is the third Local Transport Plan for Cornwall and


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sets out a 20 year transport vision to align with the Core Strategy. The overarching

principle in Connecting Cornwall is the need to support a switch to more sustainable

modes of travel such as bus and walking and cycling thus relieving pressure on the

highway network. In terms of transportation the following intervention measures may

be required or are already planned:

Highway network - Initial mitigation measures have been considered to ease

the predicted pressure at the junctions indicated above. These include ... Porthrepta

Road and Higher Tregenna. ....

Rail – .... St Ives has a good rail link from St Erth, which is well used during the

summer and will benefit further from proposals for half hourly services on the mainline.

The proposed Park and Ride at St Erth will have a considerable impact on the issues of

seasonal traffic congestion in the town.

Bus - Good public transport links currently exist between Hayle and St Ives and Carbis

Bay, settlements in rural areas and to other key urban destinations, which we want to

build upon with the transport strategies for the towns. Encouraging more people to

make trips by bus is central to the Connecting Cornwall strategy and will be key to

mitigating the impact of growth in the towns. For communities the size of ... St Ives this

could include 15 minute bus services to the most popular destination and half hourly to

other key destinations. High quality vehicles, good connections with other modes such as

rail and real time information will also form part of the bus network improvements that

will support the proposed growth.

Walking and cycling – .... dedicated provision for pedestrians and cyclists towards the

St Erth Station Transport Interchange and for users of the South West Coast Path

towards Lelant and Carbis Bay will also improve the conditions for more vulnerable road

users in St Ives by helping combat congestion in the popular summer months and

increase opportunities to access education and employment.

Demand management – Supporting a switch from the private car to public transport,

walking and cycling will require a review of the parking stock in the towns and

particularly the balance of long and short stay spaces. For St Ives, reviewing the

location and balance of long stay parking to help support a reduction in traffic through

the town, supported by the St Erth Park and Ride will be a key issue. Robust residential

and employer travel plans will be integral to achieving modal shift.


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The measures set out above will be tested as part of the transport strategy development

once the growth levels and locations are confirmed. While solutions could be delivered at

the junctions to help mitigate the impact of growth, it will be essential that these are

delivered in conjunction with a switch from the private car use to more sustainable forms

of transport in order to ensure that conditions do not deteriorate significantly from what

is experienced today.



Policy 20: Agree the basic principles of the St Ives Traffic Plan

In essence the basic principles are:

to restrict large lorries, whether by weight or time restrictions;

to retain existing bus and rail services and expand them where possible;

to improve traffic flow by using specific approach roads and creating additional

one-way streets in the town centre;

to rationalise and co-ordinate all car parks in the town;

to improve road directional signs; and

to improve road safety and general conditions for pedestrians

Policy 21: Restrict larger vehicles entering St Ives town centre

impose loading / unloading restrictions within the central zone, say between

11.00am and 7.00pm in the summer months initially. Enforce it and extend times

if congestion still occurs at other times;

restrict vehicle weight to either 7.5 tonnes or even 3.5 tonnes (excepting

emergency, council, bus or public utility vehicles

restrict all private coaches to the Trenwith car park from where passengers can

use the park-and-ride service....

develop the concept of transhipment

.... much could be achieved informally. Some drivers phone through arrival times and

are met at a transhipment layby by the shop keeper. .... Two problems will need to be

resolved or exempted - security of high value goods and the reluctance of main stores to

allow double handling, particularly of their chilled foods.

Policy 22: Retain and improve public transport services

allow hoppa buses only to set down and pick up passengers in Royal Square, not

lay up in the square


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improve and co-ordinate the park and ride services from Trenwith car park with

facilities in town

retain the Malakoff bus station (first ensuring its structural stability) keeping the

bus manoeuvres in and out of the station as an informal traffic calming measure

improve the railway station and the adjacent car park, which is many visitors'

first view of St Ives and their last. Also increase rail services to St Erth and

Penzance and market the Lelant Saltings park and ride facility with better

amenities

some off-peak bus services to the surrounding settlements are poor, according to

some young people we met. This should be investigated with the bus company

and parishes concerned....

Policy 23: Improve the traffic flows to and within St Ives

first to encourage coaches and main holiday traffic off the A3074 and onto the

B3311....

second to slow traffic at the two main gateways into St Ives, namely at the

Roundhouse and at The Terrace/Albert Road junctions and to alert them to which

car parks are full and which have space

third to calm traffic at the three main entrances to the pedestrian core of St Ives,

namely at the Malakoff, the Stennack roundabout and Belmont Place, again with

directions and information on the nearest car parks ....

Policy 24: Co-ordinate all car-parking in St Ives

The strategy should be to encourage out-of-town parking, retain in-town car parks for

short stay, differentiate between parking provision for overnight and long stay visitors

and minimize on-street parking ....

Policy 25: Improve pedestrian circulation in the town

.... In the town itself, the main pedestrian spine is from Royal Square to the Sloop..

Royal Square can be improved without making Gabriel Street one-way. Our main

suggestions are:

to pedestrianize Chapel Street from the square to the post office, retaining access

only for essential traffic, but on a pedestrian surface;

to widen the footpath from Royal Square towards Umfula Place and improve

pedestrian access to the Stennack, Park Avenue and Trenwith car parks and to

the surgery; and

to redesign Royal Square as the town's social and commercial core with planting

and seating and two hoppa bus stops for dropping off and picking up only ....


106

Pedestrian access throughout the town centre should be improved, not just for all those

with disabilities, but also for parents with pushchairs and old people with shopping etc.

At present access to even the most basic facilities like the library, the post office and the

Guildhall is difficult for anyone in a wheelchair. Access onto pavements and to the main

towns centre car parks should also be improved.




The regeneration context

.... The negative effect of St Ives' success is severe traffic congestion and limited

parking which are significant issues, particularly during the summer season. Park and

ride schemes operate from the edge of town with 1,000 parking spaces at Trenwith. St

Ives is fortunate in being served by a year round branch line which joins the main line at

St Erth. This enables park and ride rail schemes to be operated from St Erth and Lelant

at peak times. Any major developments such as the proposed second phase of the Tate

are likely to require an enhanced Green Transport Plan....




Traffic and parking

‘ At the heart of the issues facing St Ives is that of traffic circulation and parking,

particularly in the context of proposed extensions to the Tate St Ives, which has far

exceeded anticipated visitor numbers, and the varying demands on parking spaces by

residents, businesses, second home owners, holiday-makers and visitors. Lelant

residents were very keen to see a by-pass or pedestrian crossing measures as their

community is effectively divided in two by the road to St Ives’.

Transport and accessibility issues

Priority projects include: ....

4. Update and improve the St Ives Traffic Plan

consider feasibility of a one-way system from Tregenna Hill combined with traffic

lights and widened pavements to control traffic to single flow


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consider the implications of a system of congestion charging and resident /

business permits

determine the feasibility of an integrated transport system – road, rail, bus, cycle

address the needs of those without a car to walk safely into town

make proposals for managing coach traffic including a potential one-way loop

around the peninsula

ensure that any proposals take into account the needs of Carbis Bay, Lelant and

the outlying parishes

ensure the need of the mobility-impaired are addressed

5. A strategy for managing parking in and around St Ives

.... the potential for a multi-storey car park located within St Ives

the possibility of creating bigger, possibly free, car parks at the entrance to St

Ives to reduce traffic entering the town

the provision of up-to-date electronic messaging on the availability of free spaces

in each car park at the perimeters of the town

comment on parking allocations made by PDC to businesses & residents

development of the Park & Ride at St Erth

the use of park & ride for day visitors

opportunities for high-season parking in local fields

Ease of travel to & from the area

bus & train services are centrally located and are not easily accessed by disabled

users due to the steep roads, steps etc.

frequent rail services connect Park & Ride to the main line

good coach connections to the national network

access to St Ives is easier by rail than by car

no special schemes for the mobility-impaired

Ease of access to services

health services within St Ives are fairly easily access

major shopping centres in Truro, Camborne & Penzance require out-of-town

journeys that are not simple by public transport

last bus to villages at 17.45 precludes young people having a night out in St Ives

unless using private car or taxi

Ease of movement around the town

congestion and parking a major issue

competition for car park spaces between day visitors, permanent residents,

second home owners, commuters and businesses

no shop mobility scheme


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very poor access to majority of town centre shops

inconsistent provision of pavements due in part but not universally to the narrow

cobbled streets

no pedestrian crossings in town centre

parking – the issue is not so much how well used but one of sufficiency and the

need to keep traffic out of town

Other notes:

variable message signing

local management of parking stock

residential parking preference over second home owners

day visitors and other visitors to be excluded and to use Park & Ride

deck (??) station parking and Park Avenue car park

consider the future of Porthrepta car park

review Park & Ride fares

retain Lelant Saltings in medium term – consider phasing out after 5 years

PDC plan to focus on St Erth Park & Ride

Consultations with young people

From St Ives School

Age range 14 – 16, of mixed ability from a range of backgrounds and residential

locations; 24 students – 13 female, 11 male; about half were Cornish born & bred, with

extensive family ties; most had a strong identity with St Ives (rather than to Cornwall)

From independent schools – carried out by means of questionnaires on school bus

No details of this group

Responses were mixed. Half the focus group stated that bus and train times were

adequate. (These probably relied heavily on parental transport). The same young

people thought that public transport fulfilled their needs when necessary. All students

found day time access to sports, health and retail more difficult. Secure parking at the

school for bikes and appropriate cycle routes were thought to be adequate. On

discussion, they felt that public transport should be improved and cheaper, and that then

they would be less likely to bother their parents for lifts in cars.

Transport, traffic and parking

Traffic congestion and the pedestrian v. traffic conflict are the main issues for St Ives.

The problem is not only one of volume, but one of location: the nature of the old St Ives


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town centre cannot accommodate the volume of private drivers, traders, suppliers,

visitors who all feel they have the right to drive into and around the town centre.

insufficient parking spaces in and adjacent to the town; competition for car park

spaces between day visitors, permanent residents, second home owners

too many large vehicles enter the town, resulting in congestion

lack of variable message signing and signs managing traffic

no schemes for the mobility impaired; access and parking problems for this group

lack of bus and coach drop-off points, with some coaches making unlicensed

drops in Royal Square




Traffic management & parking

To encourage provision of improved facilities for public transport users, cyclists and

pedestrians and to promote park & ride as a sustainable transport solution.

12a. Carbis Bay is the primary traffic corridor for St Ives. This corridor runs through

the residential area and fosters the commercially important holiday accommodation and

small commercial centre of Carbis Bay. Non residents may gain the impression that

Carbis Bay is merely a suburb of St Ives, which is not the case. Carbis Bay is a village

with its own community which sustains interest and activities within the community not

dependent on St Ives.

12b. Carbis Bay has a beach which in comparison to St Ives beaches is under used and

little advertised. It is a beautiful resource which is safe for children. The beach is

economically important to the village and to Penwith as a whole. It is however situated

at the bottom of a steep hill. Parking at the beach itself is privately owned, limited and

quite expensive in comparison with other parking in Penwith. Approximately 6 minutes

walk from the beach, but at the top of the hill in Porthrepta Rd. is a car park which was

compulsorily purchased in the early 1960s by St Ives Borough Council as a car park for

the beach and local community. That car park is now owned by Penwith and the status

of this car park is developed later.

12c. This section of the report was compiled by Mr. Rowe in consultation with Mr Martin

Rawling who have 60 years of policing and 15 years supervisory experience of policing St

Ives and Penwith.


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12d. The reason for the following recommendations is set out in the Report at Annex E.

In that report comments are made critical of the factual accuracy of the statements

concerning Porthrepta Road car park in the Halcrow Report ‘Penwith Parking Solutions

Feasibility Study Final Report’.

12e. Recommendations:

1. A mini roundabout should be constructed at the junction of Longstone Hill (A3074)

with Church Lane and Laity lane as a traffic calming measure to slow down the speed of

vehicles leaving Carbis Bay along the straight downhill road past Roach’s Court and John

Becks chip shop. This will facilitate access from both minor roads where on occasions

access to Longstone Hill is hazardous because of speeding vehicles leaving Carbis Bay.

It will similarly allow cyclists crossing the road from the cycle path to complete the

manoeuvre safely. More importantly, it will slow the traffic to Trenoweth Bends which is

an accident blackspot.

2. A further mini roundabout system should be constructed at the junction of Longstone

Hill (A3074) with Porthrepta Road and Trencrom Lane to slow traffic on its approach to

the pedestrian crossing and the constricted areas outside the shops on the brow of the

hill. This roundabout would also facilitate the movement of traffic into and out from

Porthrepta Road and Trencrom Lane.

3. A 50 metre lay-by should be constructed where there is a grass verge outside the

shops at Longstone Cross and the lay-by be restricted to 20 minutes parking for

shoppers.

4. If any re-development is permitted on St Ives Road between commencement of the

30 mph area (BUA) on Longstone Hill and the paper shop (C&S News) on the bends in St

Ives Road that the ground floors be designated for commercial or office development

and, because of the paucity of parking, that ample parking for such commercial or office

development be included within the site.

5. In any housing or holiday redevelopment anywhere along St Ives Road within the

BUA, because of the paucity of parking, one parking space must be provided per

bedroom, in addition to any parking required by sub para. 4 above. (Discretion is

allowed in government advice on parking density and this is an appropriate instance to

use that discretion).

6. As previously stated, no change of use is granted for any commercial or hotel

property in Carbis Bay whether on redevelopment or otherwise.

7. It is not in the long-term financial advantage for the residents of Carbis Bay and St

Ives that the Park & Ride system be used to the exclusion of the car parks in St Ives or

Porthrepta Road. People seeking accommodation or other facilities should not be


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discouraged from using town car parks. It is essential therefore that a ‘variable message

car park sign’ be erected at Lelant. Day Visit Traffic for the car parks of St Ives can still

be directed along the Old Coach Road but the traffic wishing to use the Carbis Bay car

park should be directed along the A3074, signposted Carbis Bay Beach Traffic.

Appropriate signs should pick up the Carbis Bay beach traffic and direct it into Porthrepta

Road car park. Supplementary high quality signing could laud the pleasures of the

coastal path walk into St Ives e.g. ‘Walk in train out. Experience this magnificent

coastline.’ The secret beach at Porth Kidney could also be sold in a similar manner.

Circuit walks of this beautiful place, incorporating Knills Monument and Trencrom Hill are

also a possibility. On rain affected days variable signing of the park and ride capabilities

of the car park could be used via the ‘variable message signing’. I must emphasise the

hill from the railway station to the car park is not severe and again access to the coast

path can be advertised as well as the railway station.

8. Identifying and controlling the capacity of Porthrepta Road car park may be possible

through cameras operated from Trenwith car park where a control for the ‘variable

message signs’ could be established.

9. The semi-dereliction of Porthrepta car park sends the wrong message. Parking

spaces need to be marked out and that would increase the number of places available to

the public. Some initial low cost planting scheme would help, which should be followed

by trees and garden areas, so that in due course we would expect this car park to

develop into a site of which we are proud.

10. Areas of Porthrepta car park should be designated in 2 ways as long stay visitor

parking. Firstly by renting space to commercial and holiday businesses and secondly by

cheap multiple day tickets. The fully enclosed nature of the western end of the car park

would give some security which could be enhanced by low level lighting and by the

camera operating as a part of the administration of the ‘variable message’ car park

signing. This car park is totally overlooked by residential property.

11. The train service to Carbis Bay should be used to facilitate the user of the car park

as a ‘Park & Ride’ and as a long stay car park. The number 14 and 17 buses currently

are routed along St Ives Road within 300 yards of the car park but we recommend that

buses which are in receipt of public subsidy are routed along Boskerris Road to the

railway station and then along Porthrepta Road past the car park and in reverse when

travelling to St Ives. In addition to servicing the car park and railway station the buses

would provide a service to elderly residents in the area who cannot currently walk to the

bus stop in St Ives Road. This would result in one bus stop on the easterly route being

missed in St Ives Road. There is however a second bus stop on a flat walk 200 yards

from the site which would continue to be served.


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12. It is accepted that the scheduled bus service is not a total answer to a Park & Ride

scheme but combined with the train it will go a long way to help. It is recommended

that an ‘on demand’ bus service be negotiated with a smaller bus operator and that the

operator be allowed flexibility to work between various of the minor streets of Carbis

Bay, Porthrepta car park, Carbis Bay beach and the Malakoff in St Ives. We do not

preclude the possibility that the operator currently servicing Trenwith car park could

operate this scheme ‘on demand’ by utilising cameras monitoring Porthrepta car park

from Trenwith car park. The advantage of flexibility and ‘on demand’ will allow the

operator to manage the route according to need i.e. service the beach more frequently

on fine days and the Malakoff more frequently on wet days. We anticipate that a small

coach would suffice.

13. Perhaps the proprietor of Carbis Bay Hotel and other facilities could be asked to

comment. It may be possible that they would be interested in helping to support the

small coach to service the beach as this will enhance the trade prospects and open

access to the facilities there for people who currently are unable to use them.

14. A cycle route should be marked from the junction of Longstone Hill with Laity Lane

via the Steeple to the Cornish Arms and Higher Tregenna Road to Trenwith Lan and St

Ives. Some improvement of the surface of Carninney Lane and the lane leading from

Laity Lane to ‘Trewartha’ in Wheel Speed Road may be required.

15. Negotiation may be undertaken with the volunteers improving Steeple Woods as to

the suitability of developing the use of bridle paths there for mountain biking.

12f. Final comments on traffic management

1. By way of comparison the car parks in Truro are the life blood of that thriving city

and the council have recognised that by installing Variable Message car park signs. The

car parks of St Ives and Carbis Bay are the life blood of our economy but they are often

clogged up and not operating efficiently for lack of management. St Ives if a top class

resort of essential economic importance to the whole of Penwith which is itself an area of

immense beauty. St Ives needs to continue to develop but the blood is clogged.

Accepting the expense of an integrated scheme which can be demand managed is

essential now and not in 5 years time. We therefore urge our Council to grasp the nettle

and act now.

2. Our objection to selling off Porthrepta Road car park is not based on an objection to

building houses there, but in the view of R.A.I.D. it would be strategically wrong to build

over the last available site for parking within the boundaries of St Ives. The resulting

damage to the existing and future economy of the area would be irrecoverable. In

addition, we who live here would have our lives blighted by misplaced parking.


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6.12 St Ives Traffic Plan

St Ives Traffic Plan Consultative Committee for St Ives Town Council, 1996

Introduction

As a result of public concern regarding traffic congestion in St Ives the town council

formed a Traffic Plan Sub-committee which held its first meeting on 24th October 1994

and subsequently drew together representatives from a number of organisations and

local businesses to form what now constitutes the St Ives Traffic Plan Consultative

Committee.

Priorities:

Reduce congestion

Traffic flow

Parking

Making better use of our assets

Road safety

More at https://stivesnplan.wordpress.com/traffic-plan/

https://stivesnplan.wordpress.com/traffic-plan/


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7. BUILT ENVIRONMENT




7.1 Cornwall Design Guide


2.1 Connections

How best the new development can integrate into the existing neighbourhood

Remember that people may want to walk through the development to get

somewhere

Think carefully before blocking or redirecting existing routes, particularly where

these are well used

Create connections that are attractive, well lit, direct, easy to navigate, well

overlooked and safe

Ensure that all streets and pedestrian/cycle-only routes pass in front of people’s

homes

2.2 Facilities & services

Plan development so that everyday facilities and services are located within a

short walk

Provide access to facilities through the provision of safe, convenient and direct

paths or cycle routes

Locate new facilities where the greatest number of existing and new residents can

access them easily

Where new local centres are provided, design these as vibrant places….

Create places within a development where people can meet each other…

2.4 Public Transport

Maximise the number of homes on sites that are close to good, high frequency

public transport routes

Safest, attractive and most convenient possible routes between homes and public

transport

Maximise the number of homes within a short walk from their nearest bus stop or

train station

Encourage more sustainable travel choices


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2.5 Meeting local requirements

Aim for a housing mix that will create a broad-based community

Consider how to incorporate a range of property sizes and type

Provide starter homes and homes for the elderly or downsizing households

Design homes and streets to be tenure-blind

2.6 Working with the site & its context

Have regard to the height, layout, building line and form of existing development

Frame views of existing landmarks and create new ones by exploiting features

Carefully consider views into the development and how best these can be

designed

Assess the potential of any older buildings or structures for conversion

Work with contours of the land

Design sustainable urban drainage by exploiting the topography and geology

Explore opportunities to protect, enhance and create wildlife habitats

Be creative in landscape design

Consider, through building orientation and design, the potential to benefit from

solar gain

2.7 Creating well defined streets & spaces

Create streets that are principally defined by the position of buildings

Using a pattern of road types to create a hierarchy of streets

2.8 Easy to find your way around

Create streets that are principally defined by the position of buildings

Use a pattern of road types to create a hierarchy of streets

2.9 Character

Explore what could be done to give a place a locally inspired identity

Consider landscaping traditions that are fundamental to character

Create areas with different character within larger developments

2.11 Streets for all

Creating streets for people where vehicle speeds are designed not to exceed 20

mph

Thinking about how streets can be designed as social and play spaces

Using the best quality hard landscaping scheme that is viable


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Design homes that offer good natural surveillance opportunities

Create homes that offer something to the street

2.12 Car parking

Anticipate car parking demand

Design streets to accommodate on street parking but allow for plenty of trees and

planting

Remove opportunities for anti-social parking

Use a range of parking solutions appropriate to the context and the types of

housing proposed

2.13 Public & private spaces

Select species that will form a strong and effective boundary

Create spaces that are well overlooked by neighbouring properties

Consider how spaces can be designed to be multi-functional and how they could

enhance biodiversity

7.2 Hayle & St Ives Historic Environment Character


1. While the CSLCS (Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Landscape Character Study) landscape

subdivisions are a reasonable assessment of the varying HE characteristics of the CNA, it

is crucial to recognise that the historic landscapes of the area, apart from the core St

Ives Bay area, are shared with neighbouring CNAs. Management decisions within these

zones cannot be made in isolation without considering, for instance, the integrity of the

hugely significant ancient field systems to the west of St Ives with those around Zennor,

just as the high moors here, with tor enclosures and hillforts like Trencrom (within West

Penwith), must be related to the lands to the west, as much as those to the east that

they seem to overlook.

2. This is a CNA encapsulating very diverse landscapes - for instance, the high moors of

the west have little to do with the conservative, rich farmlands of the south-eastern part

of the area and will require different approaches to assessment and management

solutions.

5. The coastline, despite the cliffs and extensive sandy beaches, is backed largely by

urban expanse, industrial and quarrying remains, recreational areas (golf/holiday camps

on the Towans).


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6. This is an area of high quality urban environments - especially in St Ives, with an

outstanding legacy of historic buildings and structures and streetscapes lying below and

marching up the surrounding slopes - roofscapes are as important here as anywhere else

in Cornwall. ....

7. Lelant, Gwithian and St Erth are historic nucleated settlements of considerable

importance, though characterised more by vernacular buildings than the larger towns.

Even Carbis Bay, although less well defined, has a wealth of significant historic

buildings, and a significant grain of gardens, lanes and streetscapes set amongst relict

mining land and wooded cliff-land - seriously undervalued and unrecognised through the

existing designation regimes.

8. Less concentrated than around Penzance, there are significant historic ornamental

landscapes associated with large houses and their wider estates to the west and south of

Lelant/St Erth e.g. Trevethoe.

9. While the CSLCS gives a good overview of the character of these broad areas

greater refinement from an HE point of view is required in dealing with site specific

proposals and issues. Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) gives a much finer grain

of understanding and a much more focused estimation of archaeological potential.

for instance, greater emphasis should be laid on the industrial heritage west and

south of St Ives (including within built-up areas of St Ives and Carbis Bay) as well as

around Hayle; although not included in the WHS, it is related, with many individual

sites and landscapes of comparative significance, and contains perhaps the best

planned mining settlement in all Cornwall at Halsetown

Threats

Sea level rise affecting the quays and harbours, especially in Hayle estuary;

Capacity issues in St Ives - under pressure from its own success

Major Heritage at Risk

.... Outer areas of settlements not covered by conservation areas (St Ives; Carbis

Bay)

Churches and chapels

7.3 Halsetown Conservation Area Statement

Penwith District Council 1992

Halsetown was founded .... c. 1830 by James Halse. .... The purpose of settlement was

to house miners of St Ives Consols. .... Attached to each property was a plot of land


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providing at least the minimum are of the land-holding requirements which, at that time,

would entitle the miners to the vote.

The unusual regular scatter of detached and semi-detached and grouped dwellings

among large rectangular paddocks and connected by a series of narrow unmetalled

tracks is still largely intact.

The historical importance of Halsetown lies in the planned layout of the village. This

includes the spaces between properties as well as the buildings themselves. The original

cottages are small, simple buildings and this simplicity is important to the character of

the Conservation Area.

The Council has sought to retain the grid iron pattern of the village and has limited new

development to sites fronting the Class III road between the public house and the now

converted Methodist Church. ...The existing roads and tracks should be retained as

should the field boundaries and hedgerows.

The changing character of the village

.... gradually the number of households in each cottage block has been reduced from 4

(in some cases) to 2 and to 1.Modern facilities have been added, often in the form of

kitchen and bathroom extensions. .... New garages have been built and parking and

turning areas provided. ....

The extensive nature of the village has meant that to provide electricity and telephone

connections it has not been economical to underground services. Overhead telephone

and electricity lines criss cross Halsetown. An electricity substation exists to the south of

the village and power lines which serve the wider area passing across the southern end

of the village.

.... New housing that has been built has not always reflected the character of the village.

.... Pressure for development has increased and some of the infill development that has

taken place does not reflect the traditional character of the village as developers have

sought larger and more elaborate dwellings.

Change and alterations to existing buildings within the village

.... In particular the Council are concerned about the following:

Large extensions which change the essential character of a building:

Flat roofed extensions

The use of blockwork for walls with and external rendered or chipping finish

Stone facing on walls which uses non weathered granite and which is not traditionally

laid

Re-roofing of buildings using concrete or asbestos tiles

Barge boards on gable walls


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Non-traditional shaped window openings

Inappropriate windows:

1) replacement UPVC

2) tilt and turn windows

3) leaded light windows

Within gardens and spaces between dwellings:

External chimney stacks

Lapwood fencing and concrete block walls

Garden sheds and garages (particularly the prefabricated variety

Signs and advertisements on commercial premises

Proposals to improve the character and setting of the village

.... Improvement and enhancement schemes only succeed with the support of residents.

.... it is residents who can do most to enhance the character and setting of the village.

....

The following proposals if implemented could improve and protect visual amenities of the

village and enhance the character of the area.

No further infill house building within the Conservation Area

The renovation of derelict or dilapidated property ....

The reduction in overhead wires ....

Tree planting (where possible)



Policy 3: Improve the built fabric

.... Shopfronts, however, could be improved. A strategy for their gradual improvement

should include the following:

follow simple design principles - retain or repair all original or interesting shop front

features, design all new work in relation to the whole elevation and to attractive

shopfronts nearby;

use appropriate materials and employ traditional craft skills of shop fitting, joinery,

sign writing and glazing;

sign and adverts should attract the interest of pedestrians, not large and bold to

catch the eye of the passing motorist; and


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existing guidance on shop signs and adverts should include names of local crafts

people competent in these skills and guidance should be given to prospective

shopkeepers by estate agents in conjunction with the local authority

Shopfronts are important. They help to set the image not only of the shop concerned

but also for the whole town. .... The tourist shops can thrive with simple shopfronts,

colourful signs used with restraint and interesting displays that are in keeping with theuir

surroundings.

.... The sweep of the quay lined with handsome, informal, modest vernacular buildings

... is best seen from the Malakoff, the Regent Hotel or the harbour beach. The most

important features (apart from overall condition and building use) are the roofs and

windows.

for roofs it is essential to maintain the grey slate. Where replacement is necessary,

good quality man-made slates might be acceptable as a 'sustainable' alternative to

natural slate .... but only on minor roofs in less prominent locations. Chimneys and

gable ends should also be retained. Attic conversions are usually acceptable where

they use single dormer windows but horizontal windows stretching the length of the

attic are out of character

for windows it is just as important to retain the existing openings and wherever

possible the timber framed windows. Restoration is preferable to replacement and

usually cheaper too. If replacement is unavoidable, good quality timber windows

should be used. If timber costs are prohibitive compared with plastic windows then

the plastic windows should be kept simple, single pane or two panes (vertical hung or

sash) without false glazing bars or bottle panes




The whole document has provided evidence for the St Ives area NDP Built Environment

policies. The contents of this document are as follows:

1. Introduction

2. St Ives: the context

3. Historic development

4. Archaeological potential

5. Statement of significance, St Ives

6. Present settlement character


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7. Regeneration and management

8. Character areas




Quality of built environment is under threat

The built environment in the old town and around the harbour is a tourist attraction.

Demands placed on that environment by the need for commercial / retail development &

the consequent advertising and promotional signage are in danger of causing long term

damage. A built environment conservation policy and streetscape measures are

necessary for the longer term preservation of St Ives heritage.

St Ives contains a remarkable concentration of listed buildings and many others worthy

of protection. .... The richness & quality of detail of the streetscape is a defining

characteristic of the town. .... Many of the buildings have suffered from inappropriate or

insensitive development and there are a number of unattractive aspects & areas. Many

cellars, smokehouses, net factories and sail lofts have gone or have been irretrievably

altered.

Strategy

To ensure that the built environment is conserved and maintained; to ensure effective

management of development in the town; to develop proposals for improving the

appearance and condition of unattractive aspects of the streetscape.

The diverse historic environment of St Ives is the basis of its world-renowned character

& sense of place. .... It is important that the town is treated as a whole in terms of

townscape quality. .... A thorough audit of the town’s public realm is recommended in

preparation of a Built Environment Development Strategy.

repair and maintain the surviving historic shop fronts & replace inappropriate late

20thC examples

conserve and protect historic buildings and architectural integrity

support appropriate improvements to buildings that currently contribute negatively to

the ‘Character Area’

create a functioning town space at Royal Square

reduce streetscape clutter; undertake an assessment of ‘street furniture’ – litter bins,

benches, bollards etc.


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management of litter and graffiti are key aspects to preserving the unique

environment.

7.7 Shop Fronts: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers

Penwith District Council, April 2005

It is well maintained that historic towns with attractive, locally distinctive and well-

maintained shopping centres have a better prospect of retaining, or even improving,

their economic well-being. The quality of shopfronts has therefore a significant role to

play in attracting inward investment to our towns and is a major contributor to an area’s

distinctive identity and character....

Policy Background

General design and environment policies are contained in the Penwith Local Plan,

adopted by the District Council in February 2004. These reflect national policy guidance

on design and conservation and apply to shops and shopfronts, restaurants and pubs as

much as they do to any other building or structure within the District.

These policies reflect a growing concern that poor design and inappropriate alterations

threaten the appearance of our most attractive towns and villages, ruining the individual

appearance of buildings and diluting the unique architectural character which gives them

their distinctive appearance....

New Shopfronts

New shopfronts will only be permitted where the design is of high quality and

appropriate to the character of the building and its surroundings, taking in to account its

scale, form and materials.

The best traditional shopfronts are made of high quality joinery with careful attention to

detail and often with elaborate decorative features. Carefully designed replicas of

traditional shopfronts will be encouraged where they relate to the style and age of the

building and contribute to the wider street scene...

Modern Design

However new shopfronts do not have to be exact replicas of past styles. The Council

welcomes innovation and imagination in design – so long as the proposal is in character

with and, ideally, enhances the building and wider area...

Corporate Image

National or regional retailers may be asked to modify their standard designs and

materials if they are considered out of character in a particular location...


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Projecting Signs

Traditional painted hanging signs on simple unobtrusive brackets will be encouraged

where they replace a larger sign or are otherwise deemed appropriate. Projecting signs

should generally be located at fascia height. Other forms of projecting signs will not be

permitted...

Other Signs

Advertising for ground floor units will not normally be permitted above fascia height.

Advertising for upper floor offices etc should be limited to a single plate at the entrance

and, where appropriate, lettering applied direct to window glass. Advertising will not be

permitted on blank side walls. A-frame pavement signs and pavement displays create

unnecessary hazards and are often illegal.

More at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3638432/Shop_Front_Guide.pdf

7.8 Conservation Areas: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers

Penwith District Council, March 2005

What are Conservation Areas?

They are areas of special architectural or historic interest with a character or appearance

which merit preserving or enhancing. They are usually the historic parts of our towns

and villages and can also be used to protect unique areas such as historic harbours and

mining settlements. Conservation areas invariable have a concentration of historic

buildings but the area’s character and attraction comprises more than just buildings

alone. The uses they are put to and the spaces around and between them are also

important – so a conservation area protects the whole area and not just the buildings

within it.

What has it got to do with me?

The Council is committed to ‘give priority and special attention to conservation areas’.

There are extra controls which may affect alterations to an existing building or a new

dwelling...The aim is not to prevent all change but to control and manage it to preserve

what is special about the area and, where possible, improve it.

Do these controls extend to trees?

Yes. Anyone who wants to fell or prune any part of a tree or carry our work which might

damage a tree in the conservation area must inform the council at least six weeks in

advance...

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3638432/Shop_Front_Guide.pdf


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How will the Council decide what is acceptable?

Under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 the Council has a

duty to ensure that all proposals preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the

area...

Is planning permissions required for minor work?

Planning permission is sometimes required where otherwise work would have been

considered permitted development...The Council may consider removing some permitted

development rights where it believes such changes are spoiling the Conservation Area.

The Council does this by making as Article 4 Direction.

More at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3638497/Conservation_Guide.pdf

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3638497/Conservation_Guide.pdf

st ives area neighbourhood development plan 2015 …...good practice guide for local heritage...

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