St Austell council office site earmarked for housing

Proposals for the Penwinnick Road site state that the council wants to create "a residential-led, mixed use redevelopment" of the site

Council offices could be demolished and replaced with a development that could include up to 180 new homes, it has been revealed.

Cornwall Council plans to move out of the offices in Penwinnick Road, St Austell, and into Carlyon House, before eventually moving to White River Place.

Proposals for the Penwinnick Road site state that the council wants to create "a residential-led, mixed use redevelopment" on the site.

The plans include affordable housing.

The council had submitted a planning application to find out whether it needed prior approval to demolish the offices which, documents state, date from the 1970s and 1980s.

It has now decided that no planning permission is required for the site to be cleared.

'Meet local housing needs'

The planning statement, which was prepared by the council earlier this year for the proposals, says there is an opportunity for "a high quality, residential-led, mixed use neighbourhood in an attractive landscape setting, with uses including a community space, retail neighbourhood services and creative workspace".

It said there could be between 140 and 180 new homes built on the site.

It added it would include affordable housing which would meet local housing needs.

Previously the main base of the former Restormel Borough Council the offices have remained as Cornwall Council's main offices in St Austell.

The council is currently undertaking an estate transformation plan which is aiming to reduce the number of buildings that it owns and maintains to try and reduce costs as well as responding to the fact that more staff are now able to work from home, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council said that parking and access routes to Pondhu Primary School, which is near the new development site, would be unaffected by future plans.

No planning applications have yet been submitted for the redevelopment of the site.