Bodmin Town Centre Framework · PDF fileand key principles which will guide planning, ... town...

Bodmin Town Centre Framework PlanMay 2007

www.gvagrimley.co.uk

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 A Development Framework for Bodmin

1.2 Role and Purpose of the Framework Plan

1.3 Boundary of the Framework Plan

1.4 The Approach

1.5 The Vision

2 WHERE ARE WE TODAY?

2.1 Economic Context

2.2 Property Market Review

2.3 Policy Context

2.4 Existing Projects

2.5 Historic Growth

2.6 Physical Appraisal

2.7 Key Issues

3 WHERE WOULD WE LIKE TO BE?

3.1 A More Competitive Retail Centre

3.2 An Expanded Town Centre

3.3 A More Structured and Distinctive Centre

3.4 A Better Connected Centre

3.5 Community Priorities

CONTENTS4 WHAT CAN WE ACHIEVE?

4.1 Dennison Road / Fore Street North

4.2 Fore Street South

4.3 Dennison Road West

4.4 St Petroc’s Gateway

5 HOW DO WE GET THERE?

5.1 Mechanisms for Delivery

5.2 Viability and Funding

5.3 Next Steps

APPENDICES

A: Public Consultation Exhibition Boards

B: Baseline Review

C: Updated (Interim) Retail Floorspace Capacity Projections For Bodmin

Bodmin Town Centre Framework Plan 4

INTRODUCTIONNorth Cornwall District Council and its Partners, (South-West of England Regional Development Agency, Bodmin Town Council and Bodmin Futures) are committed to the development of a high quality and thriving town centre in Bodmin. The importance of the town centre, both as a sub-regional hub and provider of key functions is clearly evident. Various documents prepared by the District Council and Bodmin Futures set out the parameters which lead the way in delivering urban quality and sustainable development in the town, matters which this framework encompasses fully. In addition, this framework plan aims to be consistent with the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF) which will set the strategic planning context for Bodmin and the surrounding area over the next 20 years.

As a traditional market town, Bodmin provides an important focus for the local community and for visitors to the district alike. For these reasons, the town centre is given special attention in the adopted North Cornwall Local Plan and in the Council’s commitment to prepare a framework plan document for it.

Earlier studies and consultations with key stakeholders have confirmed that Bodmin is a town of many functions. Whilst it is one of the larger towns in Cornwall, it has increasingly been hampered in its growth and success by competition from other urban centres, which have, for various reasons, attracted a greater level of investment.

North Cornwall District Council and its partners has recognised this threat and has responded to this challenge in a positive manner. The town centre is now a more vibrant place than it was a few years ago, but work still needs to be done to secure Bodmin’s economic future. Significant investment in both the regeneration of high profile development sites and infrastructure will be a priority. An attractive and vital town centre lies at the heart of these plans linked to the need for better facilities to serve the growing

population envisaged by emerging planning policies for North Cornwall District and the South-West region as a whole.

The emerging Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) identifies Bodmin within Development Policy B as a market town. As part of this definition, the RSS envisages that the scale and mix of development should increase self-containment of Bodmin, along with development of its function as a service centre, especially in terms employment and service accessibility. On this basis, the core strategy for the North Cornwall Development Framework confirms that up to 3,900 new homes will be built in the District up to 2016. A significant proportion of these homes will be provided within Bodmin.

These growth plans, combined with a current public sector focus upon Bodmin, provide a once in a generation opportunity to secure a radical change in the level of investment in the town centre. It is the view of the District Council and its partners that this opportunity should not be missed.

Many successful town centres have a vision, which allows a range of people and agencies to work in partnership with confidence that each knows the broad direction of initiatives being adopted. Equally important, the adoption of an agreed vision enable proposals to be tested and priorities for action to be decided. A vision provides a clear framework to guide development and investment decisions and form the bedrock for future action.

This framework study sets out a robust vision for Bodmin town centre. It puts forward proposals to ensure that the future development of the town centre is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. It outlines the comprehensive strategy and key principles which will guide planning, urban design and development processes, which fit with national and local planning policy. Above all, the framework provides a set of deliverable

proposals to key town centre sites within a comprehensive strategy for improvement in relation to the wider town centre. This work has been prepared in partnership with other public sector agencies and local groups, notably the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Cornwall County Council, Bodmin Futures and Bodmin Town Council, and takes into account a range of views from other stakeholders and local communities. In particular, a very successful public exhibition was held in the town centre during December 2006. Responses to the consultations with key stakeholders and the public exhibition demonstrated significant support for the objectives of the development framework study and its proposals.

This refined document builds upon these earlier ideas, providing more detail and further justification. In turn, it will provide important background information to enable the District Council to take forward its vision for the town centre through a series of development plan documents for the North Cornwall LDF.

The Framework Plan is complemented by advice on delivery which demonstrates how the vision and key development principles will be translated through development and investment projects on the ground. It is expected that the majority of the investment will come from the private sector, with public sector interventions targeted upon areas such as land assembly and financial support for non-commercial initiatives.

This Framework Plan is a critical step forward in ensuring an exciting and widely shared vision for the future of Bodmin – a vision that will ensure that the town responds positively to the Government’s growth agenda for the sub-region and providing a basis for transformational change in the town centre. It is a vision that is long term and challenging, but when achieved will make Bodmin a prosperous and special place.


1.2 The boundary of the Framework Plan

The broad area covered by this development plan is shown on the adjacent plan. This area is larger than the town centre boundary contained in the adopted Local Plan which focuses largely upon the primary and secondary shopping areas, together with the area of land between Fore Street and Dennison Road. The boundary of the framework plan extends beyond this area to ensure that all major development opportunities are considered. Future amendment to the town centre boundary and any policies relating to the development sites will need to be considered through the preparation of the North Cornwall LDF.

The incorporation of this wider town centre area recognises the need to integrate transitional areas rather more effectively in land use, economic, transportation and social terms with the town centre core. This facilitates a comprehensive approach to the promotion of major development opportunities and mitigation of their impacts where appropriate. It also has regard to the need to recognise the potential that exists outside of the current town centre boundary and to build upon existing assets which are currently under utilised to enhance the centre’s capacity for change.

The five areas of change together with Fore Street, that have been considered by the Framework Plan


1. The area of land to the North of Fore Street on both sides of Dennison Road, including a local authority car park, car showroom, a mixture of residential and commercial uses, plus areas to the rear of properties fronting Fore Street.

The five key development areas considered as part of this framework plan include:

2. An area of land between the Western end of Fore Street and Dennison Road comprising vacant land, a petrol filling station and the recently constructed foyer centre on Fore Street.

3. An area of land to the South of Fore Street encompassing the recently developed surface level pay and display car park and a densely wooded area which separates the prime retail frontage along Fore Street with residential areas to the South of the town centre.

4. An area of land to the South-East of the town centre, encompassing the town’s telephone exchange, post office sorting office and a number of vacant land plots.

5. Finally, we have also considered an area of land between Priory Road and Turf Street, which includes St Petroc’s Church, a selection of retail and commercial properties and back land plots in between the town centre and Priory Park.


1.3 The purpose and aims of the Framework Plan

The aims of this framework plan (as set out in the project brief) are as follows:

To investigate and to make recommendations on potential site development within Bodmin town centre which will optimise the market opportunities for retail, commercial, residential and entertainment use.

To provide sketch drawings and visionary impressions which will inspire the community and investors in relation to the design and development potential of five key areas of the town centre.

To ensure that the framework plan reflects Bodmin’s historic inheritance, in order to make more of historic assets, to minimise any negative environmental impact and to maximise the benefit of the conservation area status.

To take account of air quality issues arising from traffic pollution, particularly those issues associated with an impending air quality management area (AQMA) centred on Dennison Road and specifically the AQMA action plan. Proposals contained within the framework plan should be complementary to the objectives of the AQMA and action plan in order to achieve a reduction in pollution levels.

To assess the potential of the public and private sector involvement in future development opportunities identifying prospective sources of development funding, eg from the South-West of England Regional Development Agency and European Funding to maximise the return on the public asset.

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1.4 Our approach

This framework plan is the culmination of a study of Bodmin town centre carried out by Property Consultants, GVA Grimley, with the assistance from urban designers, NEW Masterplanning. This work was commissioned in response to the identification by North Cornwall District Council and its partners of a number of potential development opportunities in and around the town centre and the window of opportunity that has arisen to investigate and fully consider the potential to revitalise and regenerate Bodmin. This framework plan and its supporting information will inform and provide part of the evidence base for the North Cornwall LDF.

The work has essentially been undertaken in three parts:

The first stage looked at the performance and profile of the town centre from economic, tourism, property, urban design and the transportation perspectives. This work drew on earlier studies and updated their findings, where necessary.

The second stage sought to produce a vision and a set of key strategy principles which provide the basis for consultation with key stakeholders. The study did not reinvent the wheel – it has built upon previous studies and combines this approach with views expressed by local authority officers and Members, the Town Council, Bodmin Futures, Bodmin Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Development Agency, local businesses, developers, the local community, visitors to the town centre and the local transport authority. The preliminary proposals for the town centre as a whole and the five key development areas produced as part of this stage were the basis for a consultation exercise with the local community in December 2006. This consultation ascertained the views of the local community, particularly local businesses and users of Bodmin town centre, and the results of this exercise were fed into the production of the framework plan.

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The third phase, involved the drawing up of this development plan which identifies a series of opportunities and initiatives, which are cemented together through the formulation of an overarching vision to provide a robust and achievable strategy for transformational change of the town centre. The third phase provides a definitive appraisal of the economic, social and cultural potential of the town centre which will be used by public and private sector investors and developers. It provides schematic ideas for each of the key development areas, along with an appraisal of the viability of proposals for each area (including an assessment of potential development costs, anticipated return and the identification of any deficit which can be used to form the basis of future developments) guidance is also provided on the most effective means of implementation.

A key characteristic of this framework plan is the consultation with members of the local community, users of the town centre and bodies with a real interest in the future of the town centre. The consultant team interviewed over 30 key stakeholders; over 150 people visited the public exhibition and consultation in December 2006. A copy of the exhibition material is contained as an appendix to this document. North Cornwall District Council and its partners would like to thank all of those who have participated in providing their views on how the town centre is used and perceived and, in particular, on how it could be made a more appealing place than it is currently.

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1.5 Results of Consultation Day

In order that the Bodmin Town Centre Framework Plan conforms to latest best practice, in terms of the preparation of the Development Plan document and their evidence base. The preparation of this plan has been informed by a public consultation event which was held in Bodmin town centre in December 2006. Following completion of the first stage of the project, the project team decided that it was important that the evidence which was gathered was supplemented by the views and opinions of the local community, local businesses and other key stakeholders. At a consultation event held on 14 December 2006, the project team presented its initial thoughts on the opportunities which exist in and around Bodmin town centre via an exhibition (which remained within the town centre during December 2006 and January 2007)and a series of presentations. A copy of the presentation boards are contained at Appendix A to this document. The exhibition was also informed by the work of Bodmin Futures and other key stakeholders and took into account the results of previous studies and research already undertaken by other grounds. The exhibition and consultation event provided local people with the chance to present their own views and identify other relevant issues at an early stage in the project, whilst ideas were still being formulated by the project team. During the exhibition and also on the Council’s web site a questionnaire was available for local people and local businesses to record their views both in relation to the issues raised by the exhibition and also general issues regarding the town centre.

A summary of the key messages to come out of the consultation questionnaire is contained below.

90% of respondents agreed with the town centre issues and problems identified by the exhibition and consultation exercise.

90% agreed that better links to the visitor attractions will help Bodmin town centre.

93% of respondents agreed with the suggested priority area for new shops in the town centre (between Fore Street and Dennison Road) and the majority of these people supported the retail-led mixed use development scheme shown for this area.

In terms of the land use priorities for the town centre, support was highlighted for the following uses:

1. 89% supported new shops;

2. 90% supported reinforcing existing shops;

3. 85% supported improving the pedestrian environment;

4. 60% supported the provision of new offices and housing in the town centre;

5. 85% supported improving the Dennison Road frontage and 76% supported the need for better crossing points for Dennison Road.

93% of respondents agreed that the area around St Petroc’s Church is in need of improvement and the majority of these people supported the proposals for this area.

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Survey respondents were also asked to give a view on whether new shops should be built before deciding how to deal with traffic on Fore Street.

36% of respondents stated that new shops should be built as a priority, although the remaining 64% stated that Fore Street should be tackled first. However, of those people who stated that Fore Street should be a priority, there was disagreement over the potential solution(s): a third wanted an access-only solution, one third wanted pedestrian access only during the day and one third wanted a balanced approach via the retention of the current arrangement.

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The public consultation event held in December 2006


1.6 What factors will be keys to success?

The implementation and success of this framework plan will not derive from a single factor. Instead a range of factors will be key in ensuring that Bodmin Town Centre is an improved place to work, shop and live in the future:

Securing major town centre retail and mixed use. redevelopment to expand the existing primary shopping area.

Improving the quality and distinctiveness of the retail offer.

Enhancing the evening economy for residents and visitors with a more diverse and vital mix of activities.

Connecting the core retail area to important visitor destinations on the edge of the town centre .

Improving vehicular access to car parks and pedestrian links from car parks to the core retail area.

Addressing pedestrian/vehicular conflict in the core retail areas including extended pedestrian priority areas.

Improving Dennison Road as a ‘shop window’ for the town centre to passing traffic.

Making more effective and efficient use of the few development opportunities which exist.

Encouragement of significant growth in town centre living, as part of single and mixed use development schemes.

The need to incorporate open spaces and the natural environment into the town centre to provide a catalyst for Bodmin’s renaissance.

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1.7 Key Elements of the Bodmin Town Centre Framework Plan

The key elements of this Framework Plan document can be summarised as follows and are illustrated opposite:

To meet the need for new shops, bars and restaurants in Bodmin the town centre will be expanded Northwards on to land between Fore Street and Dennison Road. This is the only site in the town centre suitable for such uses. It will provide a range of high street style comparison (non-food) retail units complementary to the existing town centre retail offer, with residential accommodation on upper floors. It will create an attractive network of streets and places for pedestrians and create a ‘retail circuit’ within the town centre by linking to Fore Street and Honey Street. In order to allow the space for this expansion, the doctor’s surgery will be relocated on to land to the North of Dennison Road, along with a range of office and residential accommodation.

A new multi-storey car park is proposed to the rear of properties on Fore Street with direct (and level) links into Fore Street. This will more than compensate for the loss of parking on Dennison Road and allows the existing car park to the South of Fore Street to be redeveloped for a mix of houses and flats. Those Burgage plots which remain intact provide an important greenspace in the town centre and should be enhanced for community use.

Fore Street remains the heart of the town centre and the focus for shopping. The new car park will improve access for shoppers and allow improvements to be made to the design of servicing and on-street parking areas and reduce conflict between pedestrians and cars. Improvements to parking and the public realm on Lower Bore Street would also help local retailers.

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The Texaco garage site, at the Western end of Dennison Road, is suitable for a new hotel. The hotel would have close links to the Camel Trail, boost family and business tourism and provide an improved road frontage for Dennison Road.

The Eastern entrance to the town centre, known as St Petroc’s Gateway is proposed to be enhanced. New buildings on Priory Road would enhance the setting of the church, and provide retail, offices and flats with new townhouses fronting on to Priory Park.

The key projects are the retail and parking schemes for the Fore Street North and Fore Street South areas, which need to be considered as a single comprehensive regeneration scheme. It should be led by North Cornwall District Council with the assistance of a private sector development partner and considered alongside physical improvements to Fore Street and Lower Bore Street. The other schemes within the Framework can be brought forward by the private sector.

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The key elements of the Framework Plan

2. WHERE ARE WE TODAY?Bodmin, including its town centre, has experienced its fair share of regeneration initiatives and studies. These initiatives, which have been outlined earlier in this document, have provided an important base for the on-going regeneration and development of Bodmin town centre. In addition, a series of physical refurbishment works over the past few years have led to a marked improvement in the town centre and it is now a more pleasant and more enjoyable place to visit.

Despite these positive improvements, it remains the case that the town centre is not competing as effectively as it might for investment. As highlighted by the work of Bodmin Futures it is patently clear that a more far reaching and radical response is required. This framework plan recognises that further change will be required in order to improve the fortunes of the town centre. It is accepted that there must be a step change in thinking over the type and scale of measures necessary to regenerate Bodmin town centre. Some of these initiatives will, in some cases, be long term and costly. However, there is a wider public sector and local commitment to the town centre and this will make a change of this scale imaginable. Indeed, given the key sub-regional role of the town centre, this change is critical to the future success of Bodmin’s growth plans.

This framework plan provides a route map to guide and co-ordinate the regeneration of the town centre to achieve the district council’s vision for its renaissance. The adopted local plan provides a robust platform from which to plan the town centre. The key policies highlighted earlier in this report remain relevant. It is recognised however that there is a need to introduce a greater special dimension in terms of urban structure, linkages and development guidance of key regional opportunities. The framework plan addresses these issues in a manner consistent with local plan policies.

The primary development and land use objectives of the strategies outlined in the framework plan are to:

Improve the physical framework and conserve the town’s heritage buildings and open spaces;

Safeguard and strengthen the retail core through sustainable expansion, thereby creating a more distinctive and competitive centre;

Protect and enhance the diversity of the uses within the town centre including the introduction of a greater level of residential and mixed use development;

Introduce proposals to improve significantly town centre accessibility, whilst managing congestion in the primary shopping areas and along through routes;

Enhance the town centre environment making better use of a natural environment, establishing high quality urban design, building and public realm improvements and co-ordinating management aimed at creating a place that is clean, safe and pleasant to visit.

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2.1 Economic and Property Market Context

Bodmin lies at the centre of Cornwall both geographically and in terms of the communications network. Cornwall’s spinal trunk road, the A30, is joined here by the main road from Plymouth and Liskeard, the A38, the busy A389 links the town centre with the A39 Atlantic Highway running up the North coast. The main mail line passes a short distance to the South of the town with a station at Bodmin Parkway, 5km from the town centre. Although the town is therefore highly accessible, and has significant potential for growth as a result, it is also easily bypassed, and Bodmin has to provide a reason for visitors to divert their journeys into the town centre.

Bodmin is well positioned as an employment location and as a base for visiting other towns and major tourist attractions. The town has the significant advantage of being adjacent to the major road into Cornwall, the A30. However, this can mean the town misses out ‘passing trade’ as tourists need to make a deliberate effort to visit the town rather than always passing through.



Bodmin can be defined as a town centre in terms of Government Planning Guidance (PPS6, March 2005). It has a sub-regional role in the shopping hierarchy and accommodates a substantial amount of retail and other commercial floor space. The North Cornwall Town Centre and Retail Study (DLPC) suggests that the town centre has between 10,000 sq m and 12,000 sq m of retail and commercial floorspace. The town performs the role of the administrative centre of North Cornwall District and is home to the District Council, local NHS Healthcare Trust, a number of schools, giving it a strong public sector administrative and educational function.

In recent years, whilst Bodmin has seen some growth, this has been at relatively lower rates than other large towns and cities in this sub-region. Much of the recent private sector investment has gone into out of town locations such as the new Asda supermarket to the North of the town centre and Bodmin Retail Park, rather than into the town centre. In contrast, the District Council and other agencies have spent a significant amount of money on town centre projects in the past decade and these are outlined later in this section. Several recent studies have appraised the relative economic performance of the town over the past few years, most notably the integrated Area Development Plan (June 2002) which was prepared by Atlantic Consultants and Hyder Consulting.

This study provided a key set of baseline information for the town and its key findings are:

Bodmin has a number of important landscape designations both within and around the town. It also has an important heritage character. Due to topographical and physical limitations, further development of the town centre is restricted but research is underway for solutions to these issues. In the recent past Bodmin has a shop vacancy rate higher than the Cornwall average, but investment has changed this position. The evening economy would appear to be quite limited.

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There is strong employment representation in the manufacturing sector (29% compared to 11% for Cornwall) and public administration, education and health sectors (30% compared with 26% in Cornwall. The distribution and hotels sector has a much lower representation than for Cornwall as a whole.

However, employment growth in Bodmin is below the average for Cornwall (2% in Bodmin compared to 5% in Cornwall).

Unemployment rates mirror the regional position. Bodmin experiences seasonal fluctuations in employment rates, although these are not as pronounced as those for Cornwall as a whole.

Unemployed people are seeking jobs in the crafts related sectors, sales, clerk operatives and in other sectors. This matches job vacancies to some extent, although there are also vacancies in elementary, administrative and services provisions.

Skills levels (in North Cornwall) are significantly below the regional average and there are particular problems of basic literacy and numeracy in St Mary’s Ward.

Although both Electoral Wards in Bodmin have relatively good access to town centre services and facilities they are both within the top 25% of deprived Wards in Cornwall with St Mary’s being the 15th most deprived Ward in Cornwall. Average earnings are below those for North Cornwall as a whole, and businesses, on average, are larger than for Cornwall. Those will employees 59% (significantly lower than the average for Cornwall) have between 1 and 4 employees.

Although 75% of people resident in Bodmin also work there, there is a significant level of commuting into Bodmin for work with 48% of employees in Bodmin travelling into the town from elsewhere.

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There is, however, a real opportunity to reverse some of the problems and issues outlined above. Through the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy there is likely to be significant population growth in North Cornwall district as a whole and also in Bodmin, which is likely to drive up demand for a range of services and increased expenditure in the local economy. It is vital that steps are taken to attract the rising population to Bodmin Town Centre and influence their shopping patterns from the outset. Plans for Bodmin Town Centre must harness this potential growth through significant infrastructure investment and well targeted regeneration initiatives. Physical investment will be important, but so will efforts to improve neutral/ negative perceptions of Bodmin as a place to invest and where financial returns are likely to be enhanced over time.


2.2 Property market performance

Set out below is a review of the property market performance of Bodmin. A more detailed baseline review is attached as Appendix B to this report.

Retail activityFuture retail development, together with new leisure, tourism and residential uses will be a key driver in regeneration plans for Bodmin Town Centre. The current and future role of Bodmin needs to be considered in the context of national retail trends and significant growth planned in the wider area which are likely to have important implications for the long term role of the centre and create opportunities for regeneration and reinvestment. In overall terms, there has been sustained growth in comparison goods expenditure (non-food goods) which is expected to continue (at around 3.6% per annum – the long term growth rate). Equally expenditure on leisure activities including cinema going, eating and drinking, health and fitness etc, has also seen sustained growth which is expected to continue at circa 4.1% per annum (based on latest 2004 estimates)

In contrast, per capita growth on convenience goods (food goods) has been negligible, although the effect of increased diversification in the offer of food stores and the opportunity to recapture the trade back to town centres, reversing the long term pattern of decentralisation, provides significant new opportunities.

Whilst the overall size and the comparison goods retail market is expected to continue to grow, there have been profound changes in the distribution of retail and leisure activity, which have implications for Bodmin. In the comparison sector, two parallel trends are particularly relevant. First there has been a continuing polarisation of activity towards dominant regional town centres, as retailers increasingly focus on a strategic network of large stores which influences development activity.

Second, there has been an ongoing shift in retail activity away from town centres to out of centre shopping facilities. Retail warehouse parks, and large food stores are selling an increasingly wide range of comparison goods and traditional high street retailers continue to explore the opportunities for parallel out of centre representation. Despite the impact of planning restrictions on the further growth of retail parks, like Bodmin Retail Park in Bodmin and large food stores, research suggests that out of centre locations continue to increase their market share relative to traditional town centres.

In these circumstances centres like Bodmin face the double challenge of responding to the continued growth of competing town centres, especially Plymouth, Truro and St Austell and to the significant provision of out of centre retailing in the district, both on retail parks and freestanding food superstores. The national and local policy climate and sustained growth in comparison retail expenditure both provide the necessary pre-conditions to support further expansion of Bodmin’s comparison retail offer. There is a clear requirement for development of a sufficient scale and quality to meet current future needs. However, this framework plan recognises that this will be a major challenge to secure development of a sufficient scale and quality to compete effectively with development in other towns, and to achieve the required pulling power. Furthermore, increased comparison goods floor space within the town centre also requires the support of the local development framework and its accompanying evidence base, such as the North Cornwall Town Centre and Retail Study (DLPC Limited).

Retail demand remains focused on Fore Street (above right) but there is limited space for development and few vacant units. As a result new development has been on the edge of the town centre (below right) and efforts need to be made to integrate this with the core retail area.


As part of work on this development framework, GVA Grimley has examined the contents of the North Cornwall Town Centres and Retail Study produced in 2005 by DLPC Limited in order to understand the current performance of Bodmin Town Centre over time, based on PPS6 Health Check Indicators. Our review of this recent study has also been complemented by our own research in the commercial property market to ensure that the framework plan provides an up to date picture of the commercial property market in Bodmin. The key findings were as follows:

Retail Rents. The 2005 Retail Study indicated that rents for Zone A retail floor space in Bodmin stood at £323 per sq m, indicating a level well below the competing larger regional centres such as Truro. The retail study indicated that Zone A rents Truro have recently moved above £1,700 per sq m, unfortunately the 2005 Study does not provide a time series analysis of rents, although the Bodmin Town Centre Health Check produced by Colliers Erdman Lewis in January 2000 indicated Zone A rents within Fore Street to be £300 per sq m and Zone A rents for Truro to be £1,300 per sq m. This data indicates that rental values in Bodmin have not grown to the same extent as competing large centres which, like Truro, are currently subject of major new retail development proposals. Equally, prime retail yields are currently estimated to be circa 8% and comparable to those identified in the 2000 Health Check. Again, this may be explained by the lack of investment transactions within the primary retail area over this period, but indicate generally lower investor confidence in Bodmin than its larger competitors such as Truro, which has prime retail yields around 5.25%. In terms of comparables with surrounding towns, better yields are achieved in Falmouth, Newquay and Penzance although Bodmin appears to perform better than towns such as Helston and Redruth.

Retailer representation. The 2005 retail study identified that Bodmin has by far the greatest number of national multiple outlets of any of the North Cornwall towns, however, when compared to regional level, this proportion is somewhat limited. The town provides a range of multiples, but this is limited to

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around one or two types of outlets and in some cases retail categories may not have any multiple representations at all. The key national multiples include WH Smith, Woolworths, Boots and Dorothy Perkins. The vast majority of multiples can be found along the Eastern end of Fore Street which is generally acknowledged to be prime retail area in the centre. According to the 2005 retail study, the town centre has 85 comparison goods retail units which comprise over 50% of the total number of units within the town centre. This is slightly higher than the national average indicating a good level of provision in the town. Conversely convenience retailing and service provision are below the national average for the proportion of units within the town centre. Whilst Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s are represented in the town, these units are outside of the town centre and convenience retailing within the centre is generally local independent traders serving niche market roles such as bakers, greengrocers, butchers and newsagents. Data within the 2005 retail study would appear to suggest that convenience retailing within the town centre has remained broadly static over the last 10 years, although there has been an increasing number of comparison and service outlets within the centre since 1995. In addition, vacancies within the town centre have fallen considerably since 2001 and now (according to the 2005 study) comprise only 7 units within the town centre. This level is around half of the national average, indicating a good level of demand for existing space within the town centre. The town centre currently has a limited range and quality of bars/ restaurants and leisure activities within the town centre. Whilst the secondary retail areas contain a limited range of pubs/ bars and cafes/ restaurants, there is no obvious focus for eating and drinking, either serving shoppers or the evening economy. In these circumstances the centre offers relatively limited diversity of usage for a town of its size, pointing to a need to revitalise the evening economy through improving access to the town centre for families and older people.

Pedestrian flow counts. The 2005 retail study provided a very limited overview of pedestrian flows and footfall in the centre, simply noting that Fore Street is busy and Dennison Road and

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North to South routes are quiet. More detailed information is contained within the 2000 health check which noted that the highest estimated footfall in the centre is around no. 14 Fore Street, followed by the intersection of Fore Street and Mount Folly. In general terms the 2000 health check indicated that the further Westwards along Fore Street that one travels the lower the pedestrian footfall. The 2000 research confirmed that Saturday is the busiest day in the town centre with peak footfall 40% higher than flows recorded on Wednesdays and 30% higher than footfalls recorded on Fridays.

Retailer demand. The 2005 retail study indicates that there are 19 operators with the requirement for premises within Bodmin. Around 80% of the demand came from retail operators including three from the convenience food store sector. The study indicated that there is demand from catalogue shops, clothes shops, charity shops, cards and gift shops and DIY premises. The remaining demand came from Use Class A3, A4 and A5 operators who require unit sizes between 290 sq m and 325 sq m. This demand comprises restaurants and public houses.

Shopping patterns. The 2005 retail provides a review of shopping patterns in the North Cornwall area and also for the area in and around Bodmin. The study indicates that around 82% of all food shopping trips are being retained in the town, reflecting the good range of convenience facilities in Bodmin (albeit in out of centre locations). However, much lower levels of retention are found for comparison (non-food) shopping. Overall, only 50% of locally-generated expenditure is being retained in Bodmin, with significant levels of expenditure leaking to Truro, Plymouth and St Austell. In terms of shopping patterns for individual comparison goods sectors, Bodmin performs best in the DIY, recreational goods and personal goods sectors, although over 60% of all trips for clothing, electrical and furniture/floorcovering products are leaking outside of the town.

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Other retail uses Whilst the regeneration of Bodmin town centre is largely dependent on the attraction of significant new retail development, Government guidance promotes mixed use in town centres and there are obvious opportunities to increase these activities. The approach will help diversify the range of uses currently present and provide a sustainable solution to town centre expansion. In this section, the main uses discussed are Class A3/A4/A5 food and drink, employment, residential and tourism uses as the other key market drivers in the town centre.

Class A3, A4, A5 Uses (Food and Drink uses, Drinking Establishments and Hot Food Takeaways)

Class A3, A4 & A5 uses have a key role to play to the vitality and viability of any town centre. These activities are complementary to the retail offer of a town centre and assist in diversifying the uses within the centre.

In Bodmin, the proportion of Class A3, A4 & A5 uses within the town centre is lower than the national average and food & drink uses have traditionally been restricted to public houses and the take-away part of the sector. In recent times, there has been a widening of the range of food & drink uses in the town centre although these uses have had a mixed performance with some (most notably within the recent Piazza development on Crockwell Street) closing down. A further addition to the town centre offer will be a JD Weatherspoons public house which will be housed in the former Methodist Chapel on Fore Street.

TourismBodmin is located in the geographical heart of Cornwall and is well located in relation to other destinations, such as the Eden Project, Lanhydrock House, Padstow and Newquay.

The town should however be a destination in its own right as well as a base for the whole of Cornwall. Short breaks, particularly for outdoor leisure activities, art and culture will be a key growth area. Each year over £290 million is spent by visitors to North Cornwall, of which over £50 million is spent on shopping and £80 million is spent on food and drink. Around one third of jobs in Cornwall are supported by tourism and around three quarters of the visitors spend is directed to the towns. This is a significant pot of money that can boost the Bodmin economy. As a result there is substantial room for growth in the general tourism spend attracted to Bodmin with potential opportunities to exploit its strategic location for business tourism.

Attractions within the town centre include St Petroc’s Church, Shire Hall and the Town Museum. These are located close to the retail core and the Mount Folly area. Whilst recent improvements have been made to the Mount Folly area, there is a genuine need to enhance the setting of St Petroc’s Church and integrate it with the Eastern end of the town centre.

There has been recent recognition that Bodmin’s visitor attractions need to be marketed together in order to reinforce the tourism potential of the town. These are concentrated close to the retail core and reinforce the potential for growth in this area.

On the edge of the centre are the major attractions, including Bodmin Jail, Bodmin & Wenford Railway and the Military Museum, plus the Eastern end of the Camel Trail which links Bodmin to Padstow on the North Cornish coast. In addition, close to the town centre is the Bodmin Beacon which is one of Bodmin’s most famous and visible landmarks. The connections between all of these attractions and the core retail area are however very poor, both in terms of signage and in terms of the quality of the routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Improving

Overall, the town centre suffers from a lack of food and drink uses or evening economy. New developments, such as the converted Methodist Chapel (above right) will help to address this but unless they are well linked to Fore Street and create a pedestrian friendly environment in the town centre they will struggle for trade, as has The Piazza (right).

The converted Methodist Chapel

The Piazza


these linkages will be vital if Bodmin is to increase its popularity as a tourism destination, by encouraging visitors to say longer in the town centre.

These are located on key arrival points to the town, with Bodmin jail on the end of the increasingly popular Camel Trail. The trail, which links Bodmin to Padstow via Wadebridge, is a very important and popular part of the tourism market in Cornwall and the benefits of the trail are already evident within Padstow and Wadebridge. The Bodmin Beacon (Which is designated as a local nature reserve) is also an important local destination, a focal point for the town and has the potential to be a wider visitor attraction.

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Bodmin is home to a variety of visitor attractions, such as Bodmin Jail and the Camel Trail (below) and close to nationally important attractions such as Lanhydrock, Bodmin Moor and the Eden Project. Although joint marketing does take place (see below) factors such as the topography make it difficult to integrate them with the town centre.

A variety of important visitor attractions are in and round the town

Flyer featuring the six key attractions in the townBodmin Jail The Camel Trail


EmploymentWhilst Cornwall has experienced above trends levels of economic growth in recent years, it remains the region with the lowest GVA (Gross Value Added) per capita in the UK. The region exhibits relatively low economic activity and employment rates, plus high levels of fluctuation in seasonal employment.

In Bodmin, the above factors, coupled with the location of the majority of Bodmin’s office stock in converted accommodation above retail space in the main town centre retail area, have historically hindered the local office market. However, the South West of England RDA (in partnership with Porthia) are in the process of redeveloping part of the former St Lawrence’s Hospital site (located to the West of the town centre) to provide the Beacon Technology Park. This development will provide 200,000 sq ft of prime office space and will provide a significant enhancement to the office market in both the Bodmin and sub-regional area. The Beacon Technology Park is likely to be the focus for inward investment in Bodmin and likely future growth in the town centre office market would appear to be continued local growth as part of mixed use redevelopment schemes. There are good opportunities for the future growth of Bodmin as an employment destination, as the evidence suggests that a significant number of Bodmin residents remain within the town for employment opportunities and there is also a significant flow of in-commuting into the town.

Residential The position of Bodmin within Cornwall and adjacent to the major road network increases the popularity of the town as a residential development location. The adopted Local Plan has allocated sufficient land throughout the urban area to meet previous Structure Plan targets, although there is a need to identify further land through the LDF process to meet targets being set by the emerging Regional Spatial Strategy. In common with the rest of the South of England, Bodmin and the surrounding area has a land supply/demand imbalance which is underpinning house price inflation. Recent housing needs surveys have indicated that there is a shortage of smaller accommodation in the town. Therefore, future development in the town centre can assist in providing additional residential uses to meet known demand and supply targets.

In other towns and cities there has been a significant increase in city living. To date, this phenomenon has not really hit Bodmin, but the opportunities identified in the development framework study could promote this concept, linked to new mixed use development. Such development should focus upon apartments and smaller property, building upon the forthcoming Midas Homes scheme on Crockwell Street.

Living ‘in town’ appears to be linked to elements of the residential market (largely singles and couples) seeking a lifestyle which gains from the close proximity of leisure and retail, eating places and cultural activities. Its growth will be closely related to a growing professional services population and the ability of Bodmin to improve significantly upon its current town centre ‘offer’. These are matters that the development framework plan has sought to address.

Bodmin will benefit from substantial employment and housing growth. The Beacon Technology Park, below, will bring high quality jobs to the town. The town centre needs to respond to this and the opportunity it brings.


centre development, and where necessary, to promote their expansion to accommodate growth and retailer requirements, provided new development is on an appropriate scale to the defined role of the centre within the retail hierarchy.

PPS12 – Local Development Frameworks. This guidance was published in September 2004 and sets out the principles upon which the framework for a new development plan system should be based, including regional spatial strategies and local development frameworks.

PPG13 – Transport. Here more sustainable travel patterns are promoted for encouraging alternative travel modes to the private car including the use of public transport, cycling and walking. It further requires that land use and transport infrastructure should be integrated.

PPG13 – Planning and the Historic Environment. This underlines the importance of safeguarding historic buildings and enhancing where appropriate Conservation Areas by preventing inappropriate development. The importance of identifying viable uses for listed buildings is highlighted.

PPS25 – This guidance outlines how flood risk issues should be taken into account at all stages in the planning process to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding, and to direct development away from areas of highest risk. The guidance asks local planning authorities to prepare and implement planning strategies that are based on three sustainable development themes; appraising risk, managing risk and reducing risk.

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Regional Planning GuidanceBodmin is presently covered by Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10) published in September 2001. Bodmin lies within the Western sub region and, under Policy SS3, is identified as a focus for major new employment, social and cultural investments along with a number of the other major towns in the West Devon and Cornwall area. Policy SS18, which covers the whole of Cornwall asks Local Authorities to work to achieve the regeneration of the main towns (including Bodmin) to act as employment and service centres for their population and royal hinterlands, and also to conserve and enhance the distinctiveness of the natural and historic environment. RPG10 is currently under review and a draft regional spatial strategy was published in June 2006. Bodmin is not one of the settlements allocated as a strategically significant city or town although Section 4 of the draft RSS identifies Bodmin as a location which can accommodate smaller scale strategic growth.

In relation to town centres, Policy TC1 of the Draft RSS asked Local Authorities to ensure the vitality and viability of the region’s existing network of town centres is maintained and enhanced. In doing so, it will be important to ensure that such centres are not adversely affected by inappropriate development elsewhere and that provision is made for a mix of uses within town centres, including retail, cultural facilities, offices, other employment and housing. On the basis of its status as a market town under Development Policy B in the Draft RSS, the range and quality of central area facilities in Bodmin town centre should also be maintained and enhanced to meet future needs. In all settlements, the RSS encourages measures to be produced to improve accessibility by sustainable modes and to enhance the public realm and quality of the town centre environment. In doing so, local authorities and other agencies must recognise the role of central area investment in supporting regeneration objectives. The scale of new investment in retail and other facilities in town centres should take full account of changing patterns of behaviour and future levels of population growth.

2.3 Policy Context

National Planning GuidancePlanning policy is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Notes, which is being superseded in stages by Planning Policy Statements. This framework plan respects fully the objectives of this policy guidance. The most relevant to the town centre framework are:

PPS1 – General Policy and Principles. PPS1 is built around three themes; sustainable developments, a spatial planning approach (which aims to integrate policies for development and the use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places and how they function) and greater community development in planning.

PPS3 – Housing. PPS3 promotes the concept of mixed communities. It stresses the need to achieve a wider choice of high quality homes, both affordable and market housing, to address the requirements of the community. PPS3 advises that local authorities should deliver a high quality mix of housing which is delivered in a sufficient quantity to take account of need and demand factors, plus the need to improve choice. It also promotes housing development in suitable locations, which offer a good range of community facilities and with good access to jobs, key services and infrastructure.

PPS6 – Town Centres and Retail Developments. This national guidance makes it clear that within the context of the overriding objective to sustain and enhance existing centres, the Government is seeking to secure an innovative, competitive and efficient retail sector and to respond to retailers changing requirements. Another consistent theme is that while seeking to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of existing centres, it is not the intention to seek to restrict competition between retailers or protecting existing interests within town centres. This encourages local authorities to plan positively to accommodate new town

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Locations should be in or well integrated with towns where the impact of travel patterns would be unlikely to lead to increased car usage and where convenient, access by public transport serving catchment area is available;

Consideration should be given to the potential role of retail and other commercial developments in the physical and economical regeneration of urban areas.

Policy 27 of the Structure Plan notes that outlines the transport priorities and provision will

Support and be fully integrated with the land-use strategy;

Maintain and enhance the Strategic Public Transport Network (SPTN), and develop other alternatives to the private car to provide access to jobs, services and facilities;

Seek to reduce the adverse effects of transport upon health and the natural and built environment;

Support economic and social well-being by enabling the efficient and effective movement of people and goods within Cornwall and between Cornwall and the rest of the United Kingdom and Europe by rail, road, sea and air; and

Maintain and enhance highway infrastructure to improve environmental conditions and road safety.

Policy 28 of the Structure Plan notes that development should ensure:

Opportunities to optimise walking, cycling and public transport are reflected in the scale, location and form of proposals;

The effective management and safe movement of traffic; and

Future opportunity for the use of railways, for passengers and freight, is not harmed.

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The Plan also notes that the availability of car parking has a major influence on the means of transport people choose for their journeys and the reduction of car parking is a key part of the strategy to reduce the use of the private car.

North Cornwall District Council Local Plan

The current Local Plan was adopted in April 1999 and covered the period up to 2006. Whilst the end date for the Local Plan has now passed, its contents have been saved under the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 whilst North Cornwall District Council prepares the Local Development Framework for the district. The Local Plan contains a number of policies relevant to this framework plan. It also provides site specific guidance on development opportunities identified in the Local Plan. Policies of specific relevance are set out in Chapters 3-6 in Part 1 of the Plan, plus Chapter 2 within Part 2 of the Plan (which specifically relates to Bodmin). These fall into the following groups:

Chapter 3. Housing. Key policies for housing development in Bodmin town centre are HSG1 (general guidance on development with the development boundary of Bodmin) and HSG9 (affordable housing policy);

Chapter 4, The Economy. This sections provides policies which guide the development of employment and tourism uses. Key policies include ECN1/2/3/10;

Chapter 5, The Environment. This section provides policies concerned with both the natural and man-made environment. For Bodmin town centre, the key policies are ENV3-ENV15;

Chapter 6, Services and Facilities. This section contains policies and strategies which guide land uses and development within town centres, plus specific policies dealing with retail developments and sport, recreation and community uses.

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In relation to tourism, the Draft RSS asks local authorities to promote tourism by:

Improving the quality and diversity of existing facilities;

Maintaining enhancing the role of existing resorts;

Realizing the potential of the region’s environmental, cultural and heritage assets;

Identifying opportunities for the development of new facilities and accommodation relating to the recreational cycle and footpath networks within the region.

Cornwall Structure Plan 2004The Structure Plan was adopted in 2004 and gives strategic guidance up to 2016. Policy 22 of the Structure Plan deals with Bodmin and notes that development should consolidate the current employment and retail function of the town, maintaining a balance of homes and jobs. The plan acknowledges that the position of Bodmin provides the opportunity for the town to help continue to provide for sustainable developments, providing services and facilities for its rural hinterland.

Like national policy, Policy 14 of the Structure Plan gives priority to the improvement and enhancement of town centres in the County via the provision of shopping, office and leisure facilities to meet the needs and aspiration of the whole community. Policy 14 directs retail, office and other leisure development to locations within or adjoining town centres where they can help sustain the viability and vitality of town centres and can be accessible to all sectors of the community by a choice of means of transport. In addition, Policy 14 requires:

Development should not be harmful to the vitality and viability of existing centres;

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Bodmin Sub Area. Policies BOD1 to BOD9 outline specific development opportunities and initiatives within Bodmin. These include the allocation of sites for development, the safeguarding of open areas of local significance and water drainage issues;

The District Council has published supplementary planning guidance on a range of subjects, some of which are relevant to this framework plan, including the Bodmin Town Conservation Area Character Appraisal, The North Cornwall Design Guide and Vehicle Parking Guidelines. Reference should also be made to the Local Transport Plan prepared by Cornwall County Council which provides guidance on transportation strategy and proposed improvement schemes.

The Emerging Local Development Framework for North Cornwall

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 came into force in September 2004. This makes a number of changes to the development plan system, certain development control procedures and contains requirements for public engagement in the planning process. This framework plan and its technical appendices will inform, and provide part of the evidence base for the preparation of a range of development plan documents for the North Cornwall LDF.

The following development plan documents are planned as part of the North Cornwall LDF:

Core Strategy – setting out the long term vision and overarching policies for the District;

Generic Development Control Policies – providing detailed guidance on issues raised in the Core Strategy and used for the determination of planning applications;

Site Specific Allocations and Policies – sets out the policies relating to specific sites within the District.

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It is proposed that this Framework Plan will inform the Core Strategy and Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPDs.

2.4 Existing Projects and Initiatives

In recent years the District Council and its regeneration partners have undertaken a number of successful regeneration and environmental enhancement schemes within the town centre, the include:

During the 1990s, Bodmin benefited from significant regeneration investment including European and Single Regeneration Budget funding and support from the Lottery Townscape Heritage Initiative. This amounted to over £5,000,000 for town centre regeneration, largely generated by NCDC on the basis of a strong partnership between the North Cornwall District Council, Bodmin Town Council, Cornwall County Council and the local community.

As a result of this investment, Bodmin had enjoyed something of a renaissance with refurbishment of the Shire Hall, a conversion from Court House to busy Heritage and Visitor Centre and the renovation of the Mount Folly area. A major townscape heritage initiative has resulted in many of the impressive listed buildings in the town receiving a facelift.

More recently a medium to long term vision for the town and its hinterland has been set out in Bodmin Futures 20:20 Vision: Quality Partnership and a 21st Century Economy. This is a community strategic plan prepared by The Bodmin and Surrounding Area Forum supported by the Market and Coastal Towns Initiative and which is being taken forward by Bodmin Futures Limited, a community led private company established by the Community Forum. Bodmin Futures has three key project areas:

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1. Cultural and Social Development (including the Foster Hall project);

2. Economic Development (focusing on marketing Bodmin and the surrounding area as a business location);

3. Sustainability (focusing on a business waste recycling project and renewable energy).

As already noted, due to air pollution from traffic, NCDC is required to declare an air quality management area centred on Dennison Road and produce an action plan in consultation with stakeholders. NCDC will progress the preparation of the air quality action plan during 2007.


1.5 Historic character

Bodmin has a very significant history as a religious centre dating back to the 6th century. In the late 18th and 19th centuries Bodmin experienced a substantial increase in population and its importance as an administrative centre grew with the establishment of the County Courts, the County Asylum, the County Jail and the County Garrison. During this period Bodmin attained County Town status in place of Launceston. Bodmin’s importance within the County has not however been sustained and since the late 19th century Truro has increasingly become the dominant centre.

Bodmin continued to grow in the 20th century and its population has more than doubled in the last 30 years to 12,600 in 1991. In the 1960s and 1970s, significant new council house developments and industrial estate developments took place in association with the Greater London Corporation Overspill Scheme. The building of a by-pass from the A30 to the East of the town in the mid 1970s has encouraged development activities in this direction, particularly for industrial development.

The town’s character owes much to its Victorian period of development which has been retained substantially intact from the St Petroc’s Church area, through to St Lawrence’s Hospital. The built development is enhanced by the relatively large number of mature trees within and around the town. The environmental setting of the town is also important with hills to the North and South, the distinctive feature of Bodmin Beacon and the attractive wooded valley running down to the River Camel.

Fore Street has always been the heart of the town, is still the retail focus, and should remain so as part of any new development proposals.

The linear form of the town today is clearly visible over one hundred years ago (below, 1889) with Fore Street by far the most dominant feature. There is a clustering of development and activity around Honey Street and Turf Street, the flatter parts of town, whilst Dennison Road has not yet been introduced.


The town centre contains a significant number of listed buildings, with a particular concentration in Fore Street and Honey Street. The town also has a number of Scheduled Ancient Monuments, including St Petroc’s Church. The majority of the town centre falls within a conservation area and is subject to relevant policies within the Local Plan. The boundary of the conservation area in Bodmin extends from the Old St Lawrence’s Hospital to the West, running Eastwards along Higher Bore Street and St Leonard’s into Lower Bore Street, Fore Street, including the area around the Priory and Church Square and then running South-Eastwards along Mount Folly Square, Turf Street, St Nicholas and ending at Bodmin Barracks.

The town centre’s character owes much to development in the mid 19th century which has been retained substantially intact from the Priory through to St Lawrence’s Hospital. In the late 19th century Bodmin began to lose County functions to Truro when that town became Cornwall’s cathedral city and the newly formed County Council was established there. Bodmin’s fine legacy of public buildings of the Georgian and early Victorian period were thus progressively abandoned rather than redeveloped. The Courts finally closed in 1988. Despite peripheral growth in the 1950s and 1970s associated with the GLC overspill scheme, central Bodmin has experienced minimal development in the post-war period, although road improvements have impinged upon the edges of the town centre. For example, the construction of Dennison Road took place in the late 1960s to provide an alternative route through the town from Fore Street. Future development proposals within the town centre will be required to pay careful consideration to safeguarding and enhancing the historic character of the town and to acknowledge the importance of its cultural diversity within their proposals.

Recent investment has improved the public realm around some key buildings, such as Shire Hall (bottom right). Other buildings such as St Petroc’s Church (top left) and the library (top right) still suffer from poor quality setting.


Visual / Character AssessmentVisual and character assessments of the town centre have been undertaken by the Historic Characterisation Report prepared by Cornwall County Council in September 2005. Amongst other things the Characterisation Report identifies 6 character areas in and around the town centre, 3 of which are relevant to this Framework Plan. These areas can be described as follows:

Down Town: Fore Street, Honey Street and Mount Folly.

Church Square, St Nicholas Street and Priory Grounds.

Dennison Road and Berrycoombe Road.

Each of the above areas are described in turn below.

Down Town: Fore Street, Honey Street and Mount Folly

This character area lies on the North facing Southern slope of the valley in which the town centre lies. Honey Street rises gently from the bottom of the valley to meet Mount Folly and the East end of Fore Street both of which are terraced into the valley side with the slope rising steeply behind them. Fore Street itself runs West rising transversely across the slope. It ascends gently for most of its length but becomes significantly steeper at its Western end. Although, from within, the character area is strongly enclosed and feels secluded from the remainder of the town, the position of the area and Fore Street in particular perched on the Southern valley side means that its buildings and roofs are prominent in many views from elsewhere in the town.

Mount Folly Square has been an important space within the town over a long period. Fore Street was a planned extension of the medieval town. The narrow plot frontages along Honey Street and Fore Street reflect these origins and impose a tight grain which is also fossilised in the surviving burgage plots.

Honey Street and Fore Street are both relatively narrow throughout their length and are dominated by close set buildings

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on each side. There is therefore a canyon like strongly urban sense of enclosure through most of the area. This effect is emphasised in Fore Street by the narrow pavements and carriageway and when viewed from its East end the strong speculative effect as the street curves away up hill. Mount Folly Square is less confined although here the height and mass of the surrounding buildings maintains the sense of enclosure. Perception of the real extent of the Square is sharply diminished however by a change in level within it and its division by a line of trees and major road.

In addition to Mount Folly Square there are important focal spaces at the junction of Fore Street and Mount Folly, marked by a clock tower, and at the junction of Honey Street with Church Square. Despite its strong overall sense of enclosure the area is permeated by several minor streets and lanes, particularly on the North side of Fore Street. There are also courts and yards behind the main street frontages. Those on the South side of Fore Street to which there is no rear access are entered via arched openings in the street frontage.

Around Mount Folly Square, Honey Street and the Eastern end of Fore Street buildings are generally of 3 storeys strongly urban in form and for the most part set hard to the pavement. There is one striking 4 storey building in Honey Street and 2 storey buildings form a larger proportion within streetscapes at the Western end of Fore Street and on the minor streets running off Fore Street.

Although this character area has a unity as a whole, there are some significant variations within it. Fore Street and Honey Street both have a good range of historic buildings and a strong sense of enclosure. The latter street is distinguished by having been pedestrianised in the early 1990s and having subsequently developed uses including several cafes which have worked with the historic character to make a place of real charm. Honey Street presents an unusually cosmopolitan ambience for a Cornish town. Fore Street is a busy commercial street with relatively high traffic levels. It undergoes a significant change of character West of Chapel Lane with a concentration of derelict and recently redeveloped sites. Building heights are lower here

and some structures are set well back from the street line and the presentation of the public realm is significantly poorer than elsewhere in the street. Mount Folly Square is visually dominated by the scale and distinguished architectural forms of the 4 major public buildings set around it, Shire House, Shire Hall, the public rooms and Barclays Bank. The other historic buildings fronting onto the Square are on a smaller scale but also of an architectural quality to enhance the overall character of the space. The presence of a significant public space and of street trees also distinguishes this form from other parts of the character area.

The almost complete loss of historic topography and structures in the rear service areas to properties on the North side of Fore Street means that these areas while historically associated with this character area now more clearly form part of the Dennison Road character area (discussed later). The transition in character and uses between Fore Street and the back lands in this area is particularly evident on Market Street. This maintains some historic residential terraces and rows and also houses the courts and registry buildings, among them a fine single storey slate roof building. There has been some loss of historic fabric at the North end immediately behind Fore Street to create parking spaces for businesses fronting the main street and some recent residential redevelopment on historic plots. Building uses on the main streets are now almost entirely commercial with retailing predominant although a substantial proportion of the historic buildings in this area originated as town houses. The side streets are generally a mix of residential and working buildings although there are also a small number of more prestigious houses set back behind the principal streets.

The County Council Characterisation Report for Bodmin (2005) raises the following issues for regeneration and management in this character area.

The need to maintain and enhance the appearance of a number of historic buildings within this area.

The poor quality of the public realm in some parts of this area whilst recognising the improvements which have been made to Honey Street and Mount Holly Square.

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The impact upon this area are high levels of traffic and the knock on effects on the urban environment particularly noise, air pollution, safety and barriers to movement.

An acknowledgement at the burgage plots on the South side of Fore Street survive well to the West of the recently created car park although this area is poorly managed and has become heavily overgrown.

Church Square, St Nicholas Street and Priory Grounds

This character area is a product of Bodmin’s unusual development history which has left the parish church outside the commercial core and preserved green open space (the former Priory Grounds) within a very short distance of the town’s commercial centre at Mount Folly. The components of this area are of high importance in themselves although this character area is now essential defined by its secondary position in relation to the commercial and civic core of the town. This area extends East along the valley bottom along Church Square to Priory House and the Priory Grounds with St. Nicholas Street and Crinnick Hill running South up the valley side. There are in consequence dramatic views down St. Nicholas Street and Turf Street to Church Square and across to the valley side behind and also up Turf Street to the substantial buildings at Mount Folly and beyond up St. Nicholas Street to wooded skyline. Trees, greenery and green open space are also important in the Church Yard and Priory Grounds car park area.

The major components of the area are the significant buildings including the parish church, Priory House and the villa known as St. Petroc set within substantial green spaces. These are fringed by strongly urban streets which are mostly residential in nature. There is therefore a contrast between the open spaces of the church yard and the Priory grounds for example and the townscape of Turf Street, St. Nicholas Street and the West side of Church Square.

The historic characterisation report raises the following regeneration issues for this character area.

The area experiences very high levels of through traffic in Church Square and on St. Nicholas Street and Turf Street.

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For much of the day particularly in the summer movement here is practically constant and has the effect of severing the centre of Bodmin from some of its most important associated structures and spaces.

This immediate area has also become dominated by road related uses which are inappropriate to the quality of its historic components most notably the church. The key area facing St. Petroc’s Church incorporates a garage and car rental business, a tyre depot, both plots and two single storey shop fronts.

As a result the characterisation report promotes appropriate redevelopment of the sites facing the church on the North side of Priory Road and the corner of Church Square. This is a particularly sensitive site and merits the most careful attention not lEast detailed characterisation carried out in advance and used to inform the development brief.

Dennison Road and Berrycoombe Road.

Historically the East to the end of this character area was occupied by a densely built up area North of Fore Street set around several minor streets including Bell Lane, Mill Street and Pool Street along with the alleys and packages running South between the burgage plots extending North from Fore Street. The Bodmin Town Leat also runs through this area although it is now culverted for most of its length but was formally open in parts. This area suffered some significant bomb damage during World War II but remained largely in tact until the creation of the Dennison Road Ring Way between Church Square and Bore Street in the late 1950s. This followed a former minor lane from the present junction with Berrycombe Road and drove through the densely built up area to meet Pool Street at the Northern end of Crockwell Street. A wider program of demolition in the area created new parking areas and substantial change also took place around the rear. The Northern ends of plots occupy by uses along Fore Street. This created loading and service areas and additional car parking. Similar large scale change also occurred at the Western end of Dennison Road with the provision of a supermarket and a variety of piecemeal developments of broadly industrial estate form. The present character

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of the area is effectively that of a trading estate merging with service areas and car parking behind Fore Street and the town centre. The area as a whole is dominated by usage and spaces related to vehicles and traffic. These include extensive areas of public parking space and parking provision associated with individual business premises, car showrooms and display areas, a petrol filling station and various drive in facilities. Commercial buildings in the area are predominantly utilitarian in design and materials of a scale and form more often seen in edge of town roadside or industrial estate contents. The public realm in the area is generally poor, dominated by road engineering, a clutter of post and signage, predominant overhead wiring and poor quality boundary materials.

The characterisation report raises the following issues and recommendations for the Dennison Road character area.

Despite this areas high visibility and its proximity to Bodmin’s historic core there is little here to present the town as a place of quality character and significance. The modern buildings within the area are generally not urban in character and the public realm is generally poor. Traffic with the associated noise air pollution, constant movement and sense of insecurity for pedestrians and the large areas occupied by part vehicles are significant negative factors in an area so close to the core of the town.

Most of the links to the adjacent areas of the town particularly Fore Street are via areas of particularly poor townscape and there is little visible form within the character area which signals the interest, high quality and distinctive character of what is nearby. Furthermore walkers and cyclists arriving in Bodmin via the camel trail must past through this area in order to rear the town centre.

The characterisation report recognises that this character area offers the single most significant opportunity for a major regeneration initiative in Bodmin. There is potential to create here a new urban quarter of quality and significance, reshaping the area in the form of enclosed streets and reinstating an appropriate scale of development.

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The town centre sits in a local topography dominated by Beacon Hill. Fore Street winds its way up and around this hill towards St Lawrence’s. While the steep hills add drama to the town, providing views out to surrounding countryside, they can frustrate ease of movement and separate areas, particularly Fore Street and surrounding car parks (above right). Growth of the town, and in particular the retail centre, has to overcome this separation in order to be successful.

2.6 Landscape and Topography

Bodmin’s historic core lies in the valley of Carn Water (also known as Bodmin Leat), with the valley sides running steeply to North and South. It is understood that early development may have focused on the Northern slope, but the medieval and later town development extended from the valley bottom around St Petroc’s Church and West across the Southern side of the valley. Bodmin’s major historic axis is formed by Honey Street, Fore Street and Lower and Higher Bore Street, essentially one long urban street following a route West from the early focus of St Petroc’s Church. Other important roads are also aligned on the Church, St Nicholas Street, approaching from the South, Priory Road combined routes from the North-East and South-East and Castle Street representing an earlier road from the North-East.

The very substantial physical expansion of Bodmin since the 1960s, extending well beyond its original confines around the slopes of the valley and beyond, means that the settlement now has a considerably greater visible presence in the wider landscape. The character of recent developments, however, has been essentially suburban or out of town and the primacy of Bodmin’s historic core persists; Bodmin’s distinctiveness is still based on the street layout and settlement from which derives from its medieval history.

This topography presents both opportunities and constraints that developers will need to consider when preparing proposals. The main constraints relate to the fact that a significant part of the town centre and its future potential expansion areas have been developed on a slope. This can provide a number of constraints in relation to the provision of modern retail and commercial premises along with their associated services. Even the flatter parts of the town centre (for example the area to the North of Fore Street between the existing retail units and Dennison Road) incorporates a significant change in levels. Therefore developers will be encouraged to make the best use of land when designing

proposals that respect the existing urban environment and complement the historic land use pattern, yet at the same time consider the potential benefit of developing prominent landmark buildings in locations that can support them. Given the town centre’s topography this is likely to involve a challenging urban design process which confronts the significant topographical issues facing future expansion.


Beacon Hill is not just a town landmark but a valuable community resource. It should be better linked to the town centre as part of a network of green spaces running through the town.


Burgage plotsTo the South of Fore Street is a large area of undeveloped land which accommodates a series of historic burgage plots which stretch from the rear of properties fronting Fore Street up the hill to a post war housing development on Beacon Hill. Also to the South of Fore Street is a relatively modern surfaced level pay and display car park.

Dennison Road

To the North of Fore Street is a further pay and display car park along with a mixture of pre and post war developments along with Dennison Road which was constructed in the 1960s to remove a significant amount of through traffic from Fore Street.

St Petroc’s gateway

To the East of the town centre is Church Square and St Petroc’s Church which is one of the oldest parts of the centre. The area also contains Priory Park which is a large area of recreational open space along with a large surfaced level car park.

2.7 Existing Land Uses

Bodmin has an assortment of land uses within its town centre area, typical of a town of its age and size. The retail area within the heart of the town is fairly well defined with a range of typical town centres uses (offices, administration, etc) on its periphery. Surrounding the commercial heart of the centre are significant residential areas and these tend to be well defined and separated from the main part of the town centre. There are however some residential uses interspersed with retail and commercial units, dating from both the pre and post war periods.

The key land uses within the town centre can be briefly summarised as follows:

Core retail areaThe main retail shopping area lies along Fore Street stretching from the junction of Fore Street, Crockwell Street and Honey Street in the East to its junction with Beacon Hill in the West. This are has become characterised by a large number of retail and service uses and contains a number of national multiple retailers.

Secondary retailThe Western parts of Fore Street, approaching its intersection with Lower Bore Street, are more secondary in nature where local independent retailers dominant along with non retail (library) and residential uses. Additional retail uses are also found along Honey Street and Turf Street in the Eastern part of the town centre. The area also includes a greater mix of residential and commercial accommodation.

Civic usesMount Folly Square forms the historic civic administration heart of the centre accommodating the Shire House, Shire Hall and the public rooms.

Western end of Fore Street

Burgage plots


An assessment of the town has revealed the following main character areas primarily based on uses and activities. The mixed-use area still follows its historic east-west route while the park behind the Town Hall plays a significant role in providing recreational land close to the town centre.


2.8 Access & Movement

The transport network in the town centre is predominantly car based and traffic congestion is a significant problem both on the approaches to the town centre and within the central area. Peak flow movements are intensified during the summer months by high volumes of tourist and visitors traffic. Junction capacity and the conflict between local and through traffic are the main causes of congestion through the centre which detracts from the environmental quality of the important part of the town most notably the areas around Church Square and Turf Street. Significant levels of traffic flow are also to be found along Dennison Road between its junction with Church Square in the East and throughout its entire length up to and beyond Higher Bore Street in the West.

Generally it is our view that Bodmin town centre has sufficient levels of parking provision, which is well located for the retail core. Whilst some additional parking may be appropriate to deal with growth in floorspace overall in the centre, we consider that the focus should be on improving public transport and walking/cycling links in line with the County Council strategy and improving existing parking provision and in particular the connections to Fore Street.

The highway network within and around the town centre provides a poor sense of arrival into parts of the town centre, creates significant severance between the Northern and Eastern parts of the town and creates vehicular/pedestrian conflict. It serves as a significant barrier between the retail core and some of the other historic parts of the town centre periphery which have the ability to contribute to the overall health of the centre in the future.

Whilst discussions have been held with the County Council on specific projects, wider design work by the County Council is on-going and the Framework will need to respond to these in due course.

Fore StreetThe public realm along Fore Street is a long standing emotive issue at the local level and there has been significant debate over the advantages and disadvantages of pedestrianisation of this street. From a review of the current situation a number of issues are important.

It is understood that Fore Street accommodates both through traffic and also specific journeys for visits to businesses and services along fore street. A number of retailers rely upon this passing trade and removal of these trips has the potential to damage the future health of certain businesses in this part of the town centre.

All the businesses along the Southern edge of Fore Street and half of the businesses on the Northern side, are serviced from Fore Street directly. The primary reason for this arrangement is due to the lack of rear access along the Southern side of Fore Street due to the steep hillside which rises above the main retail area. Therefore, on street servicing is unavoidable at present and there is anecdotal evidence that servicing does not occur within the allocated service bays along Fore Street, causing congestion with other vehicle traffic and passing pedestrians.

The above two factors lead to conflict with shoppers and visitors using Fore Street, which is further intensified by the relatively narrow pavement width on certain sections of Fore Street.

In the past works have been undertaken to revise the public realm and highway layout along Fore Street although this has not solved conflicts between different transport modes. Fore Street and Dennison Road are the only through routes and both will continue to carry traffic in the foreseeable future. Our consultation work outlined four options for treating Fore Street (see box right), all of which have unacceptable consequences. We believe that once the expansion of the town centre has occurred and this Framework Plan has been implemented consensus is more likely to be achieved on the long term solution for Fore Street.

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1. Pedestrianise Fore Street (during the day)

This option would allow servicing access to Fore Street but is only possible if traffic is diverted onto Dennison Road. Given that a key objective is to improve the physical environment along Dennison Road, increasing traffic levels in this area would not be welcome. On street parking is important to local retailers and the Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to pedestrianisation is understandable until there are firm proposals to reinforce the strength of the shopping street through new development.

2. Provide an alternative link through the town centre

This option would create an alternative route for through traffic, servicing access and shopper parking which ‘bypasses’ Fore Street. There has been previous investigation into alternative routes to the South of Fore Street but this is not practicable in highway terms or desirable in terms of the streetscape or historic character of the town centre.

3. Designate Fore Street as ‘access only’

Survey estimates suggest that up to 80% of vehicles using Fore Street are ‘through traffic’, meaning they are not looking for parking spaces and hence are not contributing to the vitality of the shopping area. Removing this traffic, whilst still permitting on-street parking, would require active and complex management and would divert traffic onto Dennison Road

4. Retain the current arrangements

The narrow street and narrow pavements create a dangerous level of conflict between pedestrian and motorist. The level of on-street parking and servicing means there is no space for activity to ‘spill-out’ onto the pavement and limited opportunities for shoppers to linger both of which will impact on ‘dwell times’ in Fore Street.


Dennison Road

Buildings do not front the street on Dennison Road so it does not have the qualities of a town centre street. Motorists drive at higher speeds and the area attracts retailers who rely on car-borne trade.

Fore Street

Fore Street has a continuous line of buildings fronting the street. The sense of enclosure this creates is a defining characteristic of the street which makes it attractive to shoppers and retailers.

Dennison RoadThis the key cross-town route, an important gateway to the town centre providing views of St Petroc’s church and associated buildings and an important retail and commercial location in its own right

However, it has problems. Those retailers located on Dennison Road operate as independent, stand-alone, businesses reliant on passing trade and car-borne customers. As a result it feels very divorced from the core retail area and does not function as part of the town centre.

Dennison Road is also a barrier between the town centre and two key visitor attractions, Bodmin Jail and the Camel Trail. If the ambition is to encourage greater linkages between the shopping core and the tourist attractions then it must be made easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the road. The Dennison Road car park is small but very popular. As a result there is often congestion as people wait for spaces to become available.

Congestion is also caused by the queuing at the mini-roundabout at the junction with Priory Road and Turf Street. This is believed to be the cause of the air quality problem in the area, but it also has a negative impact on the setting of St Petroc’s Church and the sense of arrival at this key gateway into the town centre.

It is not feasible or viable to consider ‘undergrounding’ Dennison Road. A combination of traffic management, new development along the Dennison Road frontage and improved street-level crossings should however be able to deliver a more attractive and more appropriate town centre environment for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

It is also not feasible to divert Dennison Road away from its current alignment and around the Northern edge of West End Motors. Such a solution would have a detrimental impact upon properties along Pool Street, would not achieve any benefits in terms of traffic flow through the town centre and would be an expensive engineering project without significant land use planning benefits.

Under-utilised land on Dennison Road

Dennison Road is wide, with little sense of enclosure

Fore Street’s narrow width creates an intimate sense of enclosure, although this can lead to conflict between vehicles and pedestrians


2.9 Environment

A key environmental influence upon future development within Bodmin Town Centre is Bodmin Town Leat. The Leat is a water course rising to the East of the town, which is not visible for much of its length through Bodmin as it runs through man-made pipes or culverts beneath the town. The structure of the Leat varies considerably throughout its length and several factions are now in very poor structural condition. Major flooding occurred in Bodmin in 1976, 1979, 1987 and 1993. One of the contributing factors was the insufficient capacity in the Leat. As a result of these problems, the Environment Agency has implemented a series of improvement works to the Leats along its length through the urban area of Bodmin. The majority of these works are now substantially complete although there is nevertheless the need for new development to respect and take account of the route of the Leat through parts of the town centre when drawing up development proposals. Therefore, the Environment Agency should be consulted at the earliest stage in formulating firm development proposals so that drainage and flooding matters can be adequately addressed.

Another important aspect to the environmental quality of Bodmin Town Centre, and a good opportunity to enhance its future vitality and viability, is the large area of undeveloped land located to the South of Fore Street. As already noted, this area comprises a series of historic Burgage plots some of which have remained in tact (although unmanaged) since falling out of productive use. This area has both important archaeological importance and also is an important opportunity to provide a green lung in close proximity to the main retail area. At present the area has limited informal use and lacks sufficient levels of accessibility, although is used as a link between town centre and residential areas to the South. The importance and future development characteristics of this area are discussed later in this report although proposals for the area to the South of Fore Street must ensure that they embrace this area as part of any regeneration initiatives in the town centre.

A further key environmental factor which will influence development in the town centre is air quality issues. The Air Quality Regulations (England and Wales) 2000 provide the statutory basis for the national air quality strategy and NCDC has conducted a number of assessments to understand air quality issues throughout the District. Within Bodmin, a key area for concern is Dennison Road, Pool Street and St Nicholas Street where levels of nitrogen dioxide are considered to be high. As a result, we understand that NCDC intends to declare an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) within the town, although the exact extent of the geographical area to be covered has yet to be decided. At present, further monitoring work is being undertaken by the Council and its appointed consultants and there is an intention to prepare an Area Quality Action Plan in the near future. It will therefore be important for the future progress which is made on this Framework Plan to take full account of the AQMA and Action Plan in all aspects of the land use strategy.

The well at St. Petroc’s Church The burgage plots and woodland behind Fore Street provides an opportunity for a new community resource

Traffic movements on Dennison Road have resulted in air quality issues in the town that are currently being monitored


2.10 Key issues to be addressed

The above analysis highlights a range of issues, many of which will have to be addressed through the framework plan. These are highlighted below:

The position of Bodmin within the sub-regional hierarchy underlines the need for a thriving town centre if new inward investment is to be attracted by the District Council and the wider population is to have access to more modern and high quality shopping facilities.

The town centre has to compete more effectively with rival centres and out of centre retailing in order to counter decline. To do this there is a need to:

1. Consider opportunities to complement shopping provision in nearby centres rather than competing directly head on; there is a need to provide something a little different, to make the town special.

2. Promote a significant new retail development within the retail core with sufficient critical mass of retail floor space to enhance significantly the quality and scale of comparison shopping within Bodmin.

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3. New shopping development must ensure that it does not prejudice future redevelopment of other parts of the town centre, rather it should act as a catalyst for further investment.

4. Encourage a wider diversity of uses including shopping, service, employment, residential, cultural and leisure uses. These must include activities to support the tourism economy, including links to the Camel Trail and other tourist attractions.

5. Better quality and larger retail accommodation to meet requirements of national multiples.

6. Promote opportunities for niche/specialist retailers to help diversify the retail offer and character. Manage congestion to seek more convenient access by car, public transport, cycling and walking.

7. Rationalise and improve shopper car parking to realise existing inefficient use of land as surface parking for development.

8. Consider further opportunities and initiatives for pedestrian movement around the centre, including the desirability (or otherwise) of pedestrianisation within the town centre.

There is a need to underpin the regeneration potential of key development opportunities through encouragement of viable uses and through public sector intervention, where necessary, to secure implementation.

Declining or failing parts of the centre should be appraised to identify the most appropriate means of securing their future prosperity. This may require the introduction of a broader range of uses, residential development has a key role to play by itself or as part of mixed use, high density schemes.

There is a need to protect and enhance the town centres assets; these include heritage buildings, green areas and important public open spaces. These provide opportunities but also constrain change in the centre. This points to one of the reasons why the boundary in this framework plan has been drawn relatively wide to increase the development capacity of the centre and to integrate fringe areas more effectively.

The standard of urban design and public realm needs upgrading. Quality thresholds are required which would place pressure on developers to raise standards of schemes in accordance with best practice.

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3. WHERE WOULD WE LIKE TO BE?

The proposals contained in this document are underpinned by four key principles which, together, form the basis of a strategy for regeneration of the town centre:

A more competitive retail centre. There is a need to remove and revise the core retail area with new shopping development and complimentary mixed uses, including residential.

An expanded town centre. Extending the existing town centre boundary in the local plan to incorporate fringe areas with development potential and regeneration opportunities in and around the town centre.

A more structured and defined centre. Protecting and enhancing the important assets Bodmin possesses, whilst upgrading its retail and town centre facilities.

A better connected centre. Improved accessibility to both Bodmin within the town centre is essential if investors’ perceptions are to change and emerging development opportunities are to function as part of the town centre. New connections and easier pedestrian movement and better signage are key elements of the strategy.

The importance of the town centre cannot be over estimated. Its buildings and public space provide it with a unique identity and sense of place. The quality of these aspects, combined with a range of shopping services and cultural activities are critical to its long term success. Its quality will equally be a determining factor in generating private sector investment, which will enhance Bodmin’s competitive position in the sub-region.

The town centre has a multi-functional role serving the whole community. Its relatively high level of accessibility for all modes of travel, especially public transport, means that it has a vital part to play in achieving a more sustainable development pattern in the district.

The factors which have been more fully set out in Chapter 1 of this document highlight the importance of safeguarding and strengthening the town centre. The focus upon new growth in the Bodmin area underlines a unique opportunity that now exists to attract an interest and investment in Bodmin Town Centre.

This requires a widely shared vision to direct and co-ordinate proposals and a framework for action. This framework plan crystallises this vision, a vision which draws on the distinctive and different qualities which make the town centre a unique and vibrant plant which can support a range of facilities and compete fully with nearby towns in terms of economic growth and investment.


3.1 A more competitive retail centre

The analysis earlier in this report underlines the relative performance of Bodmin in comparison with rival centres. The statistics confirm that it is not competing effectively and has, as a consequence, fallen in the retail rankings. A major new impetus is urgently required within the centre if it is to recover its past position and in the longer term growth relative to competitor towns. A significant retail expansion will be a primary driver to underpin town centre improvements. The Local Plan emphasis upon encouraging new retail developments in the town centres (improving the range and choice of shopping facilities) is more important now than ever before in the light of the growth elements for Bodmin. It is of paramount importance that the town centre’s role in the sub-region is strengthened to enhance its attractiveness to investors and the public. In addition, there is a clear demand from retailers and service providers for space in Bodmin town centre. However, the existing demand focuses on a limited area of Fore Street and it is clear that existing requirements cannot be accommodated unless the core retail area is expanded. In other words: a lack of premises and sites within Bodmin is constraining demand.

However, whilst there appears from stakeholder and public consultation a consensus in favour of substantial retail growth there remain issues over the scale of retail development required in the town this aspect is discussed over the page.

Given that this framework plan will inform the emerging Local Development Framework for North Cornwall, it is important to understand the broad level of retail capacity that the town centre could accommodate in the light of demographic and economic influences. In April 2005 North Cornwall District Council commissioned Development Land and Planning Consultants Ltd to undertake a town centres and retail study for North Cornwall District. The 2005 retail study included capacity

projections for a number of the major settlements within North Cornwall including projections for food and non-food retail floor space in Bodmin. The 2005 study did not identify any convenience or comparison goods floor space capacity up to 2016 and therefore, on the basis of national planning policy guidance within PPS6, there is no need to identify any further sites within Bodmin for new retail development.

Given the aspirations which North Cornwall District Council and its partners have for the regeneration of the Town, the conclusions of the 2005 retail study have the potential to conflict with a number of aspirations for Bodmin town centre. As part of our remit set out in the project brief it is not the role of this framework plan to revisit all of the analysis within the 2005 retail study. However, in the interest of insuring that Bodmin town centre can achieve economic, social and cultural growth in the future we have undertaken a brief re-appraisal of the food and non-food floor space capacity figures for Bodmin. Accompanying statistical tables on our re-appraisal of the floor space capacity projections can be found at Appendix C to this document and the findings are summarised below:

Our review has indicated that there is a need to re-evaluate the shopping catchment area of Bodmin for both food and non-food shopping.

We have re-assessed future floor space capacity using up to date floor space data, additional shopping patterns research and a more appropriate methodology for assessing floor space capacity. Our analysis has also considered different options for the future of retailing within Bodmin based on a changing market share and attractiveness of the town centre.

Our re-assessment indicates that there will not be a future capacity for additional food retail floor space in Bodmin up to 2016. However, the re-assessment indicates that contrary to the findings of the 2005 retail study, that there is likely to be capacity for additional comparison goods floor space within Bodmin in the medium term. Two scenarios have been assessed: one assuming Bodmin

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maintains its existing market share over the next 10 years and one which models an improved market penetration rate for the town in the sub-region. These scenarios indicate that there could be capacity for up to 4,200 m2 additional comparison floor space by 2016.

Given the remit established by our brief for the framework plan, the above projections should be treated as interim and we recommend that North Cornwall District Council commission an appropriate update to the 2005 retail study as soon as possible to confirm that there is a quantitative need for additional non-food retail floor space allocations within Bodmin town centre over the lifetime of the local development framework.

Nevertheless, the interim capacity estimates identified within this report offer the opportunity for development sites considered in this framework plan and site specific ground use allocation within the local development framework to consider retail land use development.


Bodmin’s priority is to attract more national retailers but this must be balanced with the specialist and local retailers which give market towns their distinctive character and visitor appeal. Different locations are appropriate for different types of shops.

National Retailers In order to attract investment from national retailers it is essential to create a retail circuit with strong pedestrian flow. The absence of such a circuit means that there is only a small prime retail area.

Local RetailersOpportunities exist to create new public spaces and a distinctive local offer at the top end of Fore Street, to complement new investment elsewhere in the town centre. It is important that this area is not forgotten if new retail development is concentrated around Honey Street and lower Fore Street.

Specialist RetailersSpecialist and independent retailers are an essential part of the attraction of small towns, both to visitors and to local residents. They benefit from an historic environment and proximity to visitor attractions. Honey Street and Crockwell Street provide a more specialist retail offer reflecting their proximity to Shire Hall and St Petroc’s Church.

Fore Street

Retail demand remains concentrated in a small part of Fore Street. There are few larger units available within the defined shopping area and there are few opportunities for retailers seeking to enter the Bodmin retail market. Expanding the retail core is therefore a priority.

Recent evidence indicates that there is reasonable demand for space in Bodmin, with around 20 retailers seeking space in the town centre.

The bad news is that whilst this investment would help consolidate the local role of the town centre, the general quality of the retailers identified is unlikely to address the concerns of local residents regarding the choice and quality of shops.

The good news is that current retailer requirements are based on existing perceptions of Bodmin. Housing and employment growth will start to change these perceptions and a strategy to enhance the built environment and the tourist offer should widen the range of businesses wishing to locate in Bodmin.


3.2 An expanded town centre

At present the key retail and commercial focus for the town centre is along Fore Street, Honey Street and Turf Street. A number of other areas within the town centre are included within the primary commercial area as identified by the adopted local plan, however, these areas do not feel as though they are part of the core town centre area.

As already noted in this report the topography and physical street pattern of the town centre provides a number of challenges for the provision of new developments in the town centre. An analysis of a 200m radius centred upon the intersection of Honey Street, Mount Folly Square and Fore Street indicates at the Southern and South-Western parts of the town centre are subject to a significant change in levels, areas to the East are constrained by the street pattern and the existence of Priory Park and, as a result, the only real opportunity for significant expansion of the town centre is within the area to the North of Fore Street. This is the only area of the town centre which is relatively flat and unconstrained by the historic environment and street patterns. It contains inefficient land uses such as a surface level car park and pockets of inappropriate post-war development which detract from the town centre.

Areas for growth of the town centre must be within easy walking distance of the current retail core. This is up to 200m for most pedestrians. Steep hills, listed buildings and parkland make it difficult to achieve this.


This area presents the only major opportunity to expand the retail and commercial core of the centre and the priority must be to make the most effective use of this site for these uses. It has the potential to provide the following benefits:

A comprehensive and planned approach to the extension to the retail core of Bodmin town centre;

Makes more efficient use of a key town centre site;

Enables the relocation of a number of land uses within this area which are to expand elsewhere within Bodmin;

Greatly improve the visual appearance of this high-profile site from Dennison Road which is a key route through the town centre for local and tourist traffic;

Will allow improved connections between the town centre and tourist attractions such as the Camel Trail via better linkages across Dennison Road.

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Land to the South of Fore Street, including the Post Office land, is an important long term opportunity but is difficult to integrate with the core retail area in the short term. The woodland area is also difficult to develop. The garage site is well related to Honey Street but is too small to create the necessary critical mass.

Land to the North of Fore Street is accessible from Dennison Road and well related to the core retail area. It has the potential to reinforce the existing shopping streets, link to visitor attractions and become a destination in its own right. It is large enough and flat enough to accommodate development.


3.3 A more structured and distinctive centre

The qualities of Bodmin town centre should not be underestimated, notably its heritage features reflecting its long history as a county town and its magnificent natural setting within a valley. Added to these assets is a number of attractive pedestrianised areas, a variety of retail and service uses, one-off specialist shops and some fine landmark historic buildings. An asset that is perhaps sometimes overlooked is the human scale of the centre. Many of the key buildings are landmarks which could aid legibility when the connection’s better. These together create the basis for a stimulating and interesting experience for the visitor. A careful balance is required to protect and enhance the important assets Bodmin possesses, whilst upgrading significantly its retail and town centre facilities so that the town can compete fully with other towns in the sub-region. In maintaining and developing the recognisable qualities that make Bodmin the place it is, the urban structure and character of the town, notably its intricate network of streets leading from Fore Street need to be understood. These characteristics reinforced by quality historic buildings underpin the place making potential of the town.

It is essential that new development within the town centre focuses on creating a distinctive and high quality shopping environment, consistent with the historic character of the town. Whilst maintaining accessibility is critical, competing on quality will provide a more effective alternative to out-of-centre foodstores and retail warehousing than competing on parking provision, and will also be more effective in attracting visitors and tourism expenditure to the town centre.

It will be important to encourage a wide mix of uses in the centre, moving away from a situation where parts of the centre are empty at night. The introduction of new town centre housing as part of mixed use schemes will help alleviate some of this concern. Generally, the centre is safe and convenient to walk around with

distances between key focal points and places of interest relatively short. These assets are major plus points for the town which contrast sharply with the stark and modern retail and leisure facilities provided by out of centre retail developments. However, as described earlier in this report there are some shortcomings regarding the centre including the problems associated with pedestrian movements along Fore Street and the lack of a retail circuit in the town centre. New development must therefore look to extend the prime retail area of Fore Street and create a connected series of routes to create this retail ‘circuit’.

Changes to the layout along Fore Street have been criticised by businesses during the consultation process on this framework plan and the relatively recent car park development on the hillside to the South of Fore Street is unpopular due to its perceived separation from the main retail core. Given the difficulties in removing through traffic from Fore Street, the strategy needs to consider the best balance between parking and pedestrian requirements, and to ensure that those parking and servicing bays provided are efficient and effective.


3.4 A better connected centre

The framework plan highlights the critical role accessibility plays in the attractiveness of Bodmin as a destination. There are two fundamental dimensions to accessibility: getting to the town centre and movement within the centre. The former is about the relative ease and quality of reaching the town centre from outside of the town. The latter is mainly about ease of access on foot or by cycle within the centre itself and the linkages between the core retail area and the many tourist attractions on the fringe of the town centre.

Pedestrian environment and through traffic

Work associated with this framework plan and other on-going studies demonstrates the adverse affect that high volumes of traffic have on town centre streets both through traffic congestion and upon ease of pedestrian movement. The most obvious signs of this impact are the poor quality environment along Dennison Road caused by heavy traffic particularly in the summer tourist months and the pedestrian/vehicular conflict along Fore Street which is constrained by the layout of the street and the way that vehicles use it.

Overall there is a conflict between cars and pedestrians and the environment in key parts of the centre. These are conflicts that reduce significantly the attractiveness of the centre as a place to shop, work and live. The problems associated with traffic congestion along Dennison Road cannot be solved by this framework plan alone as there are no alternative routes for through traffic. Ongoing work by both North Cornwall District Council and Cornwall County Council in relation to the impending air quality management area along with changes to the operation of the road network through the centre will be brought forward in the future and it is the aim of this framework plan to bring forward development schemes which can complement rather than conflict with changes to the transportation system. The focus for the strategy is therefore to treat the through traffic as an opportunity to promote the town centre to potential visitors and this must inform the development approach to the site.

In the short term it is considered that the focus should be on attracting new development to the town centre and creating a traffic free environment within this development. Once this is completed, and the new parking facilities are in place, the need to reduce traffic through Fore Street can be reconsidered. This approach was supported through the public consultation, and reflects the fact that there is no current consensus on how best to balance the needs of pedestrians and motorists on Fore Street.

There is also a good opportunity to improve the layout of the Western end of Fore Street, at its intersection with Lower Bore Street. The current parking and road layout appears inefficient and detracts from the streetscene. In parallel with the design of the new multi-storey car park, and the redesign of parking and servicing bays on Fore Street, efforts should be made to improve the pedestrian environment in this location alongside a reorganisation of on-street parking provision to help local retailers.

Pedestrian connectionsIf the new developments discussed later in this framework plan are to function as part of the town centre they will need to be linked together by proposals for better connections, pedestrian movement and signage. Connections between the core retail area along Fore Street and peripheral locations such as Dennison Road, Crockwell Street, Turf Street and areas to the South of Fore Street are important. These can help provide greater footfall in the streets hence aiding liability of specialist shops and linking important pedestrian areas. User friendly connections also need to be considered to key attractions within Bodmin which are located on the periphery of the centre such as the Camel Trail, Bodmin Jail and the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. A perception of attractive and safe pedestrian routes is important to Bodmin and in turn will support the sustainability policies adopted by North Cornwall District Council and its partners.

Bodmin is a very walkable town as it is relatively compact. Nevertheless it is often difficult for pedestrians, particularly if they are not familiar with the town, to negotiate their way to key facilities and landmarks and the structure of the street hierarchy also does not encourage lengthy stays within the town centre.

Good examples of this are the links between the Camel Trail and the main town centre area which are unattractive and not particularly pedestrian and cycle friendly. Also, there are concerns over the viability of businesses along Crockwell Street particularly within the recent Piazza development which has provided an important contribution to the town centre yet is failing to attract long term viable business occupation. It is therefore important to consider opportunities to improve the legibility of key connections and the potential to introduce retail circuits into the town centre. This will be through a combination of new re-development opportunities, reducing the barriers currently provided by Dennison Road and better signage and public realm works. New development also has the potential to alleviate some of the problems associated with Fore Street. At present Fore Street is the main retail street within the centre and as a result accommodates significant levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic including servicing of retail properties. Pedestrian linkages on either side of Fore Street have limited use and there is a good opportunity to improve these routes and thus alleviate capacity along Fore Street through the provision of new shopping streets within the town centre along pedestrian linkages.

Parking provisionAs already noted, Bodmin town centre overall has a adequate level of parking provision. Current problems lie in relation to the characteristics of existing facilities. For example, problems are caused by a small number of spaces on Dennison Road and a high demand for these spaces (leading to congestion and contributing to air quality issues). In addition, there are a large amount of spaces in the parking facility located to the South of Fore Street, but the pedestrian accessibility to this facility (and linkages to the town centre) are considered by some to be problematic. Therefore, there is a need to consider the parking issue more comprehensively. Within this strategy, a key guiding factor will be to respond to the County Council’s strategy for car parking; in particular through focusing on the quality and accessibility of the car parks, not number of spaces. This is considered in the next section of this Framework Plan, although it should be noted that a strategy is already being implemented to increase number of bays in Priory car park.

4. WHAT CAN WE ACHIEVE? A key objective for the Bodmin Town Centre Framework Plan is to investigate and make recommendations on potential site development within Bodmin town centre which will optimise the market opportunities for retail, commercial, residential and entertainment uses. Five broad development areas have been identified by North Cornwall District Council and all have clear potential for redevelopment and/or refurbishment. These areas are:

An area of land between Fore Street and Dennison Road (including a surface level car park, doctor’s surgery and a collection of retail and commercial uses) plus land to the North of Dennison Road currently occupied by a car showroom.

Land at the Western end of Dennison Road encompassing large areas of vacant land, a petrol filling station and the recently developed foyer centre.

A large area of land to the South of Fore Street, comprising the historic Burgage plots located to the rear of properties along Fore Street plus a surface level pay and display car park.

An area of land to the West of Crinnicks Hill comprising a telephone exchange and a number of other plots of land which are either vacant or used for car parking and storage.

Land at the junction of Church Square, Turf Street and Priory Road comprising a garage, church hall, various retail and commercial uses fronting Turf Street and vacant land adjacent to Priory Park.

It should be noted that these potential opportunity sites have no firm boundaries and the areas which have realistic future development potential have been defined through the course of this study. In addition, it should be noted that many of these areas, whilst either included within or on the immediate edge of Bodmin town centre, have not been highlighted for

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their development potential within the adopted Local Plan. Therefore, these sites have been specifically identified to stimulate landowners, investors and developers’ interest and the study will inform and provide part of the evidence base for the emerging Local Development Framework including those documents which specifically relate to Bodmin town centre.

The remainder of this section provides a detailed assessment of the five development opportunity areas outlined above, describing their current characteristics along with development influences, development principles (including land use, transport and access and urban design issues) and factors guiding implementation.

The content of this key area development guidance for each location has been influenced by the following factors:

The need to reflect Bodmin’s historic inheritance and to maximise the benefit of the conservation area status.

To take account of air quality issues arising from the impending air quality management area.

Consideration of the main transportation issues affecting the town centre.

An assessment of physical site conditions.

An analysis of the local commercial retail and residential market.

A preliminary appraisal of the viability of proposals for each site including an assessment of potential development costs, anticipated return and the identification of any need for public sector funding.

Finally, account has been taken of the need to ensure that the Framework Plan acts as a catalyst for future public and private sector partnerships to invest in Bodmin town centre to achieve economic, social and cultural growth.

4.1 Dennison Road/Fore Street North

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4.1 Dennison Road (East)

This development area comprises land located to the North of Fore Street which is the main shopping street within the town centre and comprises the following elements:

A surface level pay and display car park.

Doctor’s surgery.

Rear of retail properties fronting onto Fore Street and their associated rear access and servicing arrangements along Bree Shute Lane.

Within the Eastern part of this area there are a number of commercial properties including a solicitor’s office and public house.

Within the Western part of the identified area, various properties around Bell Yard and Market Street are included.

To the North of Dennison Road there is a large car showroom site.

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The car park within this area provides an important shopper’s car park for the town centre and also is used by visitors to the adjacent doctor’s surgery. Access to this area is gained from Dennison Road which is also the main access point for the car showroom and vehicles wishing to park and service properties along Fore Street. Given its use as a shopper’s car park, this site already has functional links with the existing core retail area with clear evidence of pedestrian linkages between the parking areas and Fore Street via the narrow lanes which run in between the existing retail units. There has also been a small amount of recent development within this area, comprising small-scale residential uses which have been developed in the Bell Yard area. It is also known that the car showroom use to the North of Dennison Road wishes to relocate to another site elsewhere in Bodmin. Apart from the car showroom site, the vast majority of this area is located within the defined primary commercial area of Bodmin town centre in the adopted Local Plan.

Purpose of Key Area Guidance

This is the only major site which is capable of acting as an extension of the existing prime retail area, and of changing the quality of the retail offer in the town. The priority must therefore be to maximise the retail floorspace within the site. The key objectives are to deliver an improvement in the retail offer of Bodmin town centre, and enhance the quality of Dennison Road as a ‘shopfront’ for the town centre.

This guidance sets out the requirements and expectations for the future development of the Dennison Road/Fore Street North sites area of Bodmin town centre. To assist future development proposals it offers background information, sets guidance on future land uses and provides details of constraints that exist for development and highlights opportunities to be exploited. The key objective is to secure a high quality of development and ensure that development contributes to the expansion of the core retail and commercial area of Bodmin town centre. This guidance provides a broad set of development principles for the Dennison Road/Fore Street North area, including key design issues within the Urban Design section which future developers must address. In light of the size and complexity of this area it is likely that this area of guidance will form the basis for future, more detailed design work possibly in the form of a development brief for the site.

Dennison Road/Fore Street North Side Existing Car Showroom Linkages to Fore Street


Development InfluencesDennison Road was constructed in the 1960s primarily as a relief road to take through traffic away from Fore Street. It is now used by both local traffic, using and travelling through Bodmin town centre, and also (primarily in the summer months) by tourists travelling from the A30 to the North Cornwall coast. As a result, Dennison Road accommodates high volumes of traffic particularly at peak times which causes congestion and has knock on impacts to other parts of the highway network in and around the town centre. Two key impacts which are relevant to this framework plan are the effect that Dennison Road has on the appearance of this part of the town centre and also the effect that high volumes in traffic have on air quality. As already noted, North Cornwall District Council has identified Dennison Road as a key area of air quality concern in the district and will be declaring an air quality management area which will almost certainly include Dennison Road.

This area represents the principle remaining town centre site capable of delivering a significant expansion of town centre retailing (in terms of quantity, range and quality). It also provides a key gateway to the town centre, particularly for those arriving on the Camel Trail and those using Dennison Road. Careful consideration must therefore be given to ensuring that redevelopment of this area provides a better advert for Bodmin town centre for the Dennison Road area and ensuring that it attracts more people to stop and spend more time within the centre.

A number of Fore Street properties have pedestrian and service access from Bree Shute Lane and some are also serviced from this area. Therefore, any future redevelopment scheme will need to accommodate and/or revise these existing arrangements to ensure that the future operation of Fore Street properties is not detrimentally affected by the provision of new development. Within this area there is also an electricity sub-station which will need to be accommodated within future redevelopment proposals. Early contact will also need to be made with the environment agency given that the Bodmin Town leaf runs through this side and will influence development schemes.

Development PrinciplesThe Dennison Road/Fore Street North area is appropriate for a retail-led mixed use town centre development to include the following land uses:

High Street style comparison (non-food) retail units complementary to the existing town centre retail.

A relocated doctor’s surgery which includes additional floorspace to meet current requirement for expansion.

A range of office and/or commercial accommodation to the North of Dennison Road.

A potential reorganisation and extension of the public house on the Eastern part of this area.

Residential accommodation on the upper floors of the development above retail, office and commercial uses.

A small area of car parking to the North of Dennison Road to serve the relocated doctor’s surgery and office accommodation.

This site presents the best opportunity to increase the level of comparison shopping floorspace within Bodmin town centre and redevelopment must be designed in order to attract new quality multiple comparison retailers not currently represented in Bodmin. A range of unit sizes are provided to attract a mix of national retailers and local/independent businesses. This reflects the need to improve the general retail provision and reduce the loss of local expenditure, and the need to create a distinctive town centre which appeals to local residents and to visitors.

The most appropriate part of this site to accommodate retail development is the area between Dennison Road and Fore Street and, as a result, redevelopment will require the relocation of the existing surface level car park provision and doctor’s surgery. The doctor’s surgery use is an important asset to the town centre and should ideally be relocated to another location within or on the edge of the centre. Therefore, our proposals for the Dennison Road/Fore

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Street North area offer the opportunity for the existing doctor’s surgery use to relocate and expand onto land to the North of Dennison Road which will be vacated when the car showroom use relocates. Relocation to this area allows the provision of adjacent car parking to meet the needs of staff and visitors and the car park can also be used to service the proposed office accommodation which is also proposed to be located on the car showroom site. It also ensures that these important uses are retained in a location which is not suitable for town centre retail but where ‘linked trips’ will reduce the need to travel and reinforce the vitality of the town centre.

A mix of residential and office uses are important to ensure activity throughout the day and evening, meet the local requirements for office space and assist in creating a viable development. We consider that the office space should comprise small flexible accommodation ideally suited to small businesses. A detailed appraisal of the proposed scheme on this site indicates that it can be viable, although overall viability will need to be considered together with the need to link development in this location with the Fore Street South area (see later in this section). Housing is not necessarily appropriate at ground floor level fronting Dennison Road, and retail use at ground floor level within the site is a priority. At upper levels however the potential for apartments has been maximised.

Our proposals for this area do not include on site reprovision of public parking spaces as the priority is to maximise the retail and leisure potential of the site. Instead, reprovision of the parking spaces lost in this area will be accommodated through the redevelopment of the Fore Street South area which is discussed later in this section. It is acknowledged that the current surface level car park use within the Dennison Road area provides an important facility for the town centre. However, the existing facility is sited in one of the few areas where Bodmin can expand its town centre area and this framework plan must examine how existing provision can be successfully accommodated elsewhere in the centre (without any detriment to the accessibility and attractiveness to parking provision) in order to make the best use of the land available.


The following principles should therefore underpin any future redevelopment:

Development must provide a better active frontage to Dennison Road.

Development schemes must ensure that Dennison Road does not remain a barrier to movement for visitors to the town centre and must encourage better linkages at grade from the Camel Trail via more user friendly crossing points.

The heart of any redevelopment scheme must provide an attractive pedestrian environment in order to expand publicly accessible areas within the town centre and alleviate some of the pressure along Fore Street.

Development proposals must ensure that provision for servicing the retailing is sensitively managed and, wherever possible, service routes to both new and existing retail properties along Fore Street do not compromise the requirement for active frontages on key streets and routes and ensure a safe and attractive pedestrian environment.

The priority is to create a pedestrian circuit with Fore Street. The proposals use the existing connection alongside Mackays and provides a central route to Fore Street and seek to extend this into the main car park to the South of Fore Street. Connections also need to be made to Honey Street and Crockwell Street.

Removing public parking on the main retail site should create a ‘pedestrianised’ environment for shoppers. Operational parking will be reduced and servicing times will need to be controlled and limited to off-peak shopping times. Parking provision will be replaced on the Fore Street (South) site.

The design of any future redevelopment scheme must take full account of the aims and objectives of the impending air quality management area and ensure that the current poor air quality hotspots along Dennison Road are not worsened by new development.

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The uses and activities proposed for the Dennison Road site

The development principles for the Dennison Road site


In order to be successful any new development must:

Link to successful retail locations in Fore Street and Honey Street;

Maximise the amount of commercial floorspace;

Provide offices and housing;

Front Dennison Road;

Create an attractive network of streets and spaces for pedestrians;

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Provide large units for national retailers and smaller units for specialist and independent traders;

Be accessible from nearby car parks;

Ensure that servicing for Fore Street properties is not compromised.

The car showroom on the North side of Dennison Road wishes to relocate. This area is probably too far from the core shopping area to attract high quality retailers but could provide an opportunity for new office space and a relocated health centre.

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Proposed ground floor uses

Proposed upper floor uses

New hotel Area ofchange

GP surgery and offices with parking

New shops, flats and offices creating retails circuit with Fore Street and Honey Street

Bar/cafe on ground floor with flats above

New buildings fronting St Petroc’s church

Improvements to service bays, parking and pavements

New multi-storey car park with level links to Fore Street

Potentialnew connections

Fore Street

Chap

el La

ne

Welcoming gateway to town for Camel Trail

visitors

Newspace

Mount Folly

Welcoming gateway at St Petroc’s

Burgage plotsretained and enhanced for community use

Publ

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Implementation

The Dennison Road/Fore Street North area is complex and is likely to require a phased approach in terms of its delivery. Planning of the Dennison Road/Fore Street North area must take place in a comprehensive manner to recognise the importance of this key site and to ensure a totality of the objectives in this framework plan are delivered. In particular, given the loss of public car parking from this site and reprovision elsewhere on other development sites in the town centre, it is important that the delivery and implementation of the Fore Street North area is linked to improved car parking on the Fore Street South site. In order to ensure that sufficient levels of car parking are retained within the town centre during the implementation of this and other schemes in this framework plan, it

is likely that the implementation of the Dennison Road/Fore Street North proposals can only commence once the Fore Street South scheme (see below) has been completed. This issue is considered in more detail later in this report.

As a key landowner within the Dennison Road/Fore Street North area, the District Council will take a leading role in the delivery of developments and, where appropriate, may provide support to its development partners in the acquisition of key interests to ensure a fully comprehensive approach. It is recommended that the District Council work with its selected development partners to deliver the objectives detailed within its policy and in this framework plan. Further details on the proposed delivery mechanisms for this area are contained in Section 5 of this report.

Whilst a more detailed development brief for this area will need to be prepared to take forward the broad principles established by the framework plan, it is clear that developers for this area will be required to provide appropriate contributions towards the cost of key infrastructure and possibly other planning obligations by way of Section 106 agreements. These will be negotiated with the District Council at the planning application stage, although are likely to include contributions to any required changes to the highway network, affordable housing provision, ensuring linkages with the Camel Trail are provided along with any further necessary public realm and environmental enhancement works.

A mix of retail, residential and office uses at a scale that would be appropriate fronting Dennison Road (Wadebridge Town Centre)


4.2 Fore Street South

For the Fore Street South area we have amalgamated two of the potential development areas outlined in the brief from North Cornwall District Council. These are the Fore Street car park and Burgage plot area (Site 3) and land to the East of this area which currently accommodates a telephone exchange along with parcels of vacant land and surface level parking areas associated with the telephone exchange and the nearby Royal Mail sorting office (Site 4).

These areas of land are located at a much higher level than the main shopping area of Fore Street to the North and linkages between these areas and the main town centre area involve a distinct change in levels. Vehicle access to the car park is taken from Turf Street to the East which also provides access to a nearby church building and limited access to the rear of some properties along Fore Street. In order to access the main town centre area, users of the car park have the option of using the vehicle access road from Turf Street or walking down a relatively steep pathway (containing a number of steps) which links directly onto Fore Street. Whilst the car park is well used during the week, the consultation exercise has highlighted that this facility is unpopular due to poor perceived linkages with the main shopping area and the topography of the car park itself.

The car park is a relatively recent addition to parking facilities in the town centre and was constructed across a series of historic Burgage plots which were originally associated with properties fronting onto Fore Street. To the South of the car park a small part of the Burgage plots still remain although they are now considerably reduced in length due to the construction of the car park. However, to the West of the car park the historic Burgage

plots remain relatively intact, albeit considerably overgrown and unmanaged. Nevertheless, the structure of the plot is clearly evident in some parts of this area and the remaining plots are a very good example of the original structure of the town centre. At present this area is being used as a link between the main town centre and the adjacent car park to residential areas to the South. To the North of the car park are a series of plots associated with properties fronting onto Fore Street which are either vacant or under-used.

To the eastern part of the development areas is a post-war church building with a limited amount of parking provision in a prominent location at the entrance to the car park. The telephone exchange building and surrounding vacant land and storage areas are accessed from Crinnicks Hill which is a very steep and narrow route running South from the town centre. The telephone exchange building is of a significant scale comprising four storeys, providing an imposing structure in this part of the town centre periphery, shielded to a certain degree by a dense band of mature trees and vegetation

Purpose of Key Area GuidanceThis guidance sets out the requirement and expectations for the future development of the Fore Street South area to assist further detailed work along with offering guidance to future developers. It offers background information, sets out key development guidance, provides details of constraints that exist for development and highlights opportunities to be exploited. The key objective for this area is to make better use of this large area which is partially developed and currently experiences an unsuccessful relationship with the town centre. Given the functional links with the Fore Street/Dennison Road development site, this guidance must be read in conjunction with the earlier key area development guidance for the Fore Street/Dennison Road site.

Existing Car Park

Existing Church Building


Development InfluencesThe central and Western parts of this area experience a significant change in levels with land sloping downhill from the South towards Fore Street in the North. This topography presents both constraints and opportunities for future development. For example, the change in levels across the site is likely to present challenges for the provision of new development and potentially increase the cost of schemes. It will also restrict the range of land uses which can be successfully provided within this area. However, the topography is also an opportunity to be exploited by future development schemes. For example dramatic views over the town centre can be gained from this area and the change in levels offers the opportunity to provide multi-level uses which do not require prominent locations.

Despite a number of perceived negative attributes towards parking within this area, the car park at the Fore Street South site provides an important facility for Bodmin town centre and is the second largest facility after The Priory car park. Therefore if Bodmin is to grow as a retail destination, redevelopment of this area must tackle the problems associated with the existing provision and also potentially increase parking numbers to re-accommodate provision which is lost from other parts of the centre (ie Dennison Road/Fore Street North area).

The Fore Street South area also has an important part to play in the historic and natural environment within Bodmin town centre. Parts of this area provide a natural undeveloped environment close to the heart of the town centre which is rare in many other centres in the UK and a key asset to Bodmin. This natural environment also has an historic context given that it is based on the historic Burgage plots and there is pressure from some quarters to retain and restore these areas.

Development principlesAlthough the site can be seen as constrained by the topography, existing uses and pressure to retain sufficient car parking provision within Bodmin town centre, it also presents a significant

opportunity to make more effective and efficient use of a town centre site.

Although the site cannot be integrated with Fore Street sufficiently well to make it an attractive retail location, having regard to the expansion of the town centre retail core into the area between Fore Street and Dennison Road (and the subsequent loss of parking provision) we consider that the Fore Street South area is suitable for residential and car parking uses. Its role as a town centre car park, serving the core retail area, is critical to facilitate the redevelopment proposals for Dennison Road and Fore Street (North) and the relocation of the car parking spaces on that site.

We consider that there is an opportunity within the Fore Street South area to make better use of the changing levels to provide a multi-level car park which is better located in relation to the main retail core of the town, which can also re-accommodate spaces lost from the Dennison Road area plus provide additional provision to accommodate an increase in visitors to the town centre as a result of its expansion. We would recommend that the total number of parking spaces in this location can be agreed in more detailed discussions with Cornwall County Council and local businesses. The site has the capacity to accommodate up to 300 spaces without impacting on views across the town.

In order to overcome the perceived problems with the existing parking facility in this area, we propose that the multi-storey car park is situated to the immediate South of properties fronting the Southern edge of Fore Street. The multi-storey car park will be located on the currently vacant backland plots along Fore Street although it will also require the relocation of the existing church building. This location will enable shoppers and visitors in the town centre to park in close proximity to the main retail core and at a level which is better related to the centre. In order to ensure that current problems associated with linkage between car parking and retail uses in this area of the town are overcome, the scheme for Fore Street South in this framework plan encourages better pedestrian links to be provided from the multi-storey car

park to Fore Street. Whilst some narrow links are already provided in this area, there is a need to consider the redevelopment and/or removal of one or more shop units to encourage successful pedestrian linkages and to ensure that the car park facility is a more popular option than the existing surface level facility. The scheme presented in this framework plan indicates the use of one unit along Fore Street to provide these linkages, aiming to create a new ‘arcade’ through one of the few buildings within Fore Street which is not listed.

Provision of a decked car park will allow the existing surface level car park to be redeveloped for residential accommodation which will reinforce the vitality of the shopping centre. It can provide an opportunity for family housing close to the town centre and should also extend Southwards to the Southern boundary of the site with Meadow Place to integrate with this existing housing.

It is proposed that those Burgage plots which remain intact and run their full length from Fore Street up to Meadow Place will become an important source of open space in the town centre in the future and the District Council should encourage schemes which make better use of this area for the benefit of both the local population and also visitors to the town. Better management and interpretation of these historic plots (for residents, schoolchildren and visitors) is essential if the area is to be well used, address local concerns regarding safety and resist longer term pressure for housing development. It is recommended that this area is subject to a more detailed study alongside the wider regeneration of this area.

Those parts of the former Burgage plots to the South of the car park which were cut in half by the original car park development are considered suitable for redevelopment as their intrinsic character has been lost. A number of residential uses are also proposed on the vacant and under-used pieces of land to the North of the telephone exchange although the exchange building itself is likely to remain in place in the medium term.


Examples of modern high quality housing using local materials and developed on steeply sloping and highly visible sites.

(Truro and Wadebridge)

The existing vehicular access to the Eastern part of this development site from Crinnicks Hill will be modified in order to provide the primary vehicle access for the proposed residential accommodation. There is also a possibility that vehicle access can also be gained from the South via Meadow Place, although detailed consideration will need to be given to traffic management issues to ensure that this route does not become a rat run for vehicles wishing to avoid the main town centre area.


In order to be successful, development needs to:

Create an attractive arrival space in front of the new car park;

Create good linkages from the car park to Fore Street;

Create a high quality mix of housing and apartments and ensure the layout utilising the slopes and reflects the historic character of the site;

Create an attractive ‘community woodland’ area within the burgage plots which interprets and reflects their historic role within the town.

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The uses and activities proposed for the Fore Street South site

The development principles for the Fore Street South site


ImplementationThe Fore Street South site is an important site for the regeneration of Bodmin town centre but will require a sensitive approach to development. The planning of development at this site must consider the needs of the wider town centre, particularly parking provision and, as a result, it is likely that it’s implementation will be closely linked to the progress of the Dennison Road/Fore Street North site. The phasing of development will be dependent upon a number of factors including the need to provide the proposed parking provision on this site prior to commencement of redevelopment at Dennison Road. This will ensure that parking provision is not affected within the town centre and there remains a sufficient supply of available capacity throughout the construction period at both sites. As a result, redevelopment of the existing surface level car park on this site can only commence once the multi-storey facility is operational. Contact must also be made with Cornwall County Council as local highway authority to ensure that all salient access and movement considerations are taken into account when preparing development proposals for this site.

Like the Dennison Road/Fore Street North area, the District Council should take a leading role in the delivery of this area and provide support to key partners in the acquisition of key interests to ensure a fully comprehensive approach.

Given the clear linkages between the Fore Street North and Fore Street South development areas, we recommend that the District Council considers them as one comprehensive project. This is especially important given that our preliminary viability analysis indicates a need for gap funding for the Fore Street South scheme and a need for this funding to be provided at the start of this combined project in light of the need to provide a multi-storey parking facility prior to any other development at either Fore Street North or Fore Street South.

New flatsand houses

Improvements to service bays, parking and pavements

New multi-storey car park with level links to Fore Street

Fore Street

Burgage plots retained and enhanced for community use

Mount Folly

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Shire Hall


4.3 Dennison Road (West)

In the project brief from North Cornwall District Council and its regeneration partners an area of land at the Western end of Dennison Road has been identified. The area of focus is primarily on land to the South of Dennison Road and comprises a petrol filling station, along with an adjacent area of vacant and under used land, a derelict cottage and an area which has recently been developed for a foyer centre.

Pedestrian and vehicle access for the foyer centre is taken from Fore Street to the South and includes an integral access road which serves a range of recently developed accommodation. The development of the foyer centre means that the majority of the Southern part of the area is no longer available for redevelopment and focus should therefore be given to the Northern parts of this area fronting on to Dennison Road.

This area of the site experiences a significant change in levels with the topography of the site rising in a South to North direction

into the centre of the identified area. The existing petrol filling station includes the usual forecourt facilities plus a small shop and car wash facility to the rear, served by two access points from Dennison Road. Either side of the petrol filling station are further access points to the vacant areas of land and the derelict cottage. The proximity of the site to Dennison Road provides excellent access characteristics and a highly visible roadside frontage.

On the opposite side of Dennison Road is a health centre and a Sainsbury’s supermarket. To the East of the site is the other opportunity site along Dennison Road, along with a number of other commercial uses including a video and DVD hire store and has the potential to be included within this development opportunity site in the future, should this land become available. The whole of this area is included within the primary commercial area definition in the adopted Local Plan and the Local Plan proposals map also indicates that a significant part of the site (excluding the petrol filling station) is subject to a planning permission for residential development.

Purpose of Key Area GuidanceThis guidance sets out the framework plan’s requirements and expectations for the future development of the Dennison Road site. To assist the developer, it offers background information, sets guidance on development principles, provides details of constraints that exist for development and highlights opportunities to be exploited. The key objective for this site is to secure a high quality of development to benefit the Dennison Road area and contribute to the renaissance of Bodmin Town Centre. Development proposals will need to address the principles set out in this framework plan and comply with existing and emerging planning policies. We recommend that pre-application discussions are held with North Cornwall District Council (to include air quality matters) and consultation also undertaken with Cornwall County Council in relation to its remit as Local Highway Authority.

Development InfluencesThe key influences on the future development of this site are likely to comprise topographical, private sector market demand, air quality and highway considerations. Like other parts of the town centre in Bodmin, topographical issues are likely to influence the content and format of development on this site. Given its location and levels, this site is unlikely to be suitable for significant levels of retail development, although other commercial uses, which could benefit from a roadside frontage, are likely to be acceptable. We also consider that this site is potentially suitable for residential uses, although the proximity to Dennison Road does create difficulties and the existence and lack of implementation of a previous residential planning permission calls into doubt the deliverability of large scale residential uses across the whole of the site.

The proximity of the site to Dennison Road brings with it a number of constraints and redevelopment proposals for alternative uses will need to be carefully considered in relation to the impact that they have on the operation of Dennison Road which is a key through route around Bodmin Town Centre, including the need to provide appropriate access into the site and the implications that development will have on any quality issues. The road side location will influence the content of any future scheme, and commercial uses would be preferable to reinforce the town centre location and integrate the Sainsbury site more effectively with the core retail area. We consider that there is demand for a hotel use to be provided in this location which could benefit from close proximity to Dennison Road and also the Camel Trail. Given that this site is within private sector ownership, the framework plan expects that the private sector will take the lead in bringing forward development proposals on this site.

Existing Petrol filling station on Dennison Road


Development PrinciplesAs already noted, the primary use identified for the Dennison Road site is a hotel. We are aware of demand for new hotel accommodation in the Bodmin area and contact with operators has established that Bodmin Town Centre is a suitable location for a approx. 50 bedroom facility. In order to improve Bodmin Town Centre’s attractiveness as a tourist destination and also to ensure that the new facility does not conflict with future proposals within the town, we propose that the hotel on the Dennison Road site is a family orientated facility which is able to draw a wide range of custom from the local tourist market, including the nearby Camel Trail and the traditional Cornish family holiday market.

The proposal is for a four storey building with reception, kitchen, bar, and dining area on the ground floor and three floors of bedrooms above. Active uses at the ground floor, including the bar and dining area (and possibly a separate café) will provide an active street frontage which will benefit this part of Dennison Road which suffers from poor visual appearance. It is proposed that the hotel building will front onto Dennison Road, adjacent to which will be a drop off area and main vehicle access point. The main customer car park will be located to the rear (South) of the main hotel building. It is proposed that the car park will be terraced with car spaces closer to the hotel, lower than those further away (to the South of the site). The levels across this site will also allow direct access from the car park at an upper level and also direct access at street level from Dennison Road and the drop off area. The proposed site layout is also large enough to accommodate the service yard which could include secure bike storage for camel trail visitors which will improve the attractiveness of this facility to the leisure tourism market.

Proposed ground floor uses

Proposed upper floor uses

ImplementationThis site is a private sector led development opportunity and will require the amalgamation of the current vacant part of the site with the petrol filling station facility. It is understood that the owner of the petrol filling station would consider the redevelopment of this land and we envisage that this opportunity is a stand alone development opportunity which can be brought forward when the market dictates. Future development proposals for this site and any subsequent application submissions should ensure that a comprehensive examination is undertaken of transportation and air quality issues and the need to ensure that improvements are made to the public realm around Dennison Road and the links to and from this site from the Camel Trail.

Proposed development form


This area has the potential to be a very attractive gateway on the Eastern side of Bodmin Town Centre, although at present the quality of this area is let down by a poor standard of built environment (particularly the area around the car repair garage) and the volume of traffic which passes through this area (to either the town centre or Dennison Road). The junction of Priory Road, Turf Street and Dennison Road is characterised by a mini roundabout which is very land hungry and dominates the public realm in this area

It is known that development proposals for small plots of land in the Church Square area are currently being formulated and there have been recent attempts to gain planning permission for residential development on the vacant area of land in between the rear of properties along Turf Street and Priory Park. Apart from St Petroc’s Church the majority of this development site is included within the Defined Primary Commercial Area in Bodmin Town Centre, although there are not any specific land use proposals for individual plots of land.

Purpose of Key Area GuidanceThis guidance sets out the framework plans requirements and expectations for the future development of St Petroc’s Gateway. It provides background information, along with details of constraints that exist for developments and highlights the opportunities to be exploited. Given the presence of a number of listed buildings and the inclusion of the site within a conservation area, the broad guidance contained within this framework plan for St Petroc’s Gateway will need to be worked up in further detail as part of proposals for individual developments within this area. Development proposals will need to address the principles set out in this framework and comply with existing and emerging planning policies. We recommend that pre-application discussions are held with North Cornwall District Council, Cornwall County Council and the Environment Agency.

Development InfluencesThe key constraints that will need to be addressed in any development proposals include the following:

This site lies within the historic core of Bodmin and development must respect the historic street pattern and protect the setting of listed buildings within the locality.

The route of Bodmin Leat runs under part of this area, and as discussed in relation to the Dennison Road Fore Street North site earlier in this guidance development will need to take account of the existing culvert which accommodates the Leat and design a scheme which works in tandem with this important part of the environment within Bodmin Town Centre. Therefore, early discussions with the Environmental Agency are essential.

There will also be a number of transportation influences to future development proposals in this area. First, the St Petroc’s Gateway lies close to a number of air quality hot spot areas and therefore redevelopment schemes will need to ensure that they do not exacerbate existing air quality problems. Second, St Petroc’s Gateway lies on the major route into the Eastern side of the town centre, and accommodates a significant level of traffic which either intends to visit the town centre or is travelling through onto Dennison Road and onto other parts of North Cornwall. It is understood that Cornwall County Council is in the process of considering opportunities to provide a new access (or exit) to Priory Car park which would reduce traffic movements along Turf Street and provide the potential to reorganise the Church Square junction. Although discussions have been held with the County Council their timescale for the work extends beyond our commission. If a future access/exit can be agreed then it may be possible to reconsider the design of the Church Square junction but in the meantime our proposals seek to improve the treatment of the existing arrangement. It will however be important for proposals in both this framework plan and future detailed schemes to take account of and accommodate the County Council’s work.

4.4 St Petroc’s Gateway

The final specific development opportunity considered within this framework plan is known as St Petroc’s Gateway, which is focused on the intersection of Church Square, Primary Road and Turf Street. In the Northern part of this area the public realm is dominated by St Petroc’s Church, which is the largest historic church known in Cornwall. Facing the church on the opposite side of Primary Road is a poor quality of streetscape, comprising a church hall building, a car repairs garage and small pockets of vacant land. Turning the corner onto Church Street, this area is characterised by pre-war terraced commercial and residential accommodation, to the rear of which is a minor access road and a vacant site. On the opposite side of Turf Street is the Eastern end of Honey Street, which is an attractive pedestrianised historic part of the core town centre area, at the end of which is a small area of open space which previously accommodated the Duke of Cornwall Public House (demolished in the 1990s).

The gap site at the end of Honey Street


Development Principles

The prime objective is to integrate St Petroc’s Church more effectively with the town centre, and with Honey Street in particular.

This area on the Eastern edge of the town centre provides opportunities for higher density town centre uses. We recommend that this area is appropriate for a range of uses, including small scale ground floor retailing, commercial and office uses, food and drink uses and residential uses, either at ground floor and upper floor levels. The proposed scheme within this framework plan includes a series of town houses along the Western edge of Priory Park, within the existing area of vacant land in between Turf Street and Priory Park. Its also proposes ground floor commercial uses along Priory Road as a replacement for the existing car repair use. We propose that development along Priory Road will include residential accommodation along the upper floors, including three full levels of residential accommodation and a ‘set back’ 4th floor at the Church Square elevation. It is proposed that the new buildings along Priory Road will be placed at the pavement edge fronting the street with private spaces and car parking behind, with a similar layout proposed for the town houses along the edge of Priory Park.

Finally, there is an opportunity for new development to be placed on the site of the former Duke of Cornwall Public House which can

provide a landmark gateway feature at the end of Honey Street, rather than the blank building end which currently exists. This should include active uses at the ground floor (eg food and drink café uses), with residential uses above. The design of this new building ensures that opportunities remain for on-street servicing of properties along Honey Street.

The St Petroc’s Gateway site provides an important opportunity to improve the Eastern edge of Bodmin Town Centre and provide a better gateway entrance to the heart of the town. We have undertaken a preliminary viability analysis based on the development scheme presented in this plan which indicate

that in order for the proposal to be successful, they are likely to occur in a piecemeal fashion and the different parts of the area should be considered as separate development opportunities. Nevertheless the District Council should retain an overall focus on this area to ensure that the different parcels of land meet the vision established by this framework plan and developers will be required to provide appropriate contributions towards the cost of key infrastructure and possibly other planning obligations (eg affordable housing) by way of developer contributions via Section 106 Agreements. These will be negotiated with the Council at the planning application stage.

The quality of the development currently opposite the St. Petroc’s church not high enough for an important gateway site such as this

The uses and activities proposed for the St Petroc’s Gateway site The development principles for the St. Petroc’s Gateway site


ImplementationWhilst the expansion of the town centre retail core is a priority for the town centre, it will require land assembly and a reasonable period of time to secure a development partner and planning permission for a comprehensive scheme.

In the meantime progress could be made with a smaller scale scheme focused around the ATS garage site. In addition to providing new retail and commercial units fronting Priory Road, this scheme could improve:

The setting of St Petroc’s Church.

The sense of arrival in the centre.

Links between St Petroc’s and Honey Street.

An illustrative scheme is shown which seeks to deliver these objectives whilst retaining the mini-roundabout. The County Council is currently investigating the potential for an alternative exit from the Priory car park which could help to reduce traffic using this junction and a budget has been set aside for implementing such schemes over the next five years. This could provide the opportunity for a more radical improvement of the junction. The existing church hall building has not been included within the illustrative scheme although it should be considered for redevelopment within the framework set out in this guidance.

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Proposed ground floor uses Proposed upper floor uses


In order to be successful, development needs to:

Create an attractive arrival space in front St Petroc’s.

Create high quality residential development overlooking Priory Park.

Complement work being undertaken by Cornwall County Council in relation to amendments to the highway infrastructure in this area.

Create better links with Honey Street and the core retail area.

Be delivered by the private sector.

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Bar/cafe on ground floor with flats above

New buildings fronting St Petroc’s church

Mount Folly

Welcoming gateway at St. Petroc’s

Row of newtown housesoverlookingPriory Park

Publi

c Roo

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Shire Hall

Town Hall

St Petroc’s

Future Connections The town at present suffers from both strategic and local access problems and severance issues. At the strategic level Bodmin is situated in a very good geographical location. It is located very close to both the A30 Trunk Road and the A38 which offer a significant level of traffic, both domestic and tourist, passing by and/ or through the town. At present, the section on the A30 between Bodmin and Indian Queens is being improved and, when completed, will significantly improve access to the town from the West. In addition, Bodmin is situated on a major route from the A30 to the North Cornwall coast, with a significant amount of traffic leaving the A30 and passing through the town centre on its way to towns such as Wadebridge and Padstow.

Employment and Housing Opportunities In order to attract and support economic growth, a number of key elements are important. Employers need to know that the resources will be available for investment and expansion including office space and skilled staff. In order to attract and keep people in the local area, Bodmin must provide the necessary range of services and functions which are required to provide for people’s day to day needs. Some of the ingredients for economic growth in Bodmin are already in place. The South-West RDA has already demonstrated its commitment by investing £3 million into the Beacon Technology Park to generate 800 new jobs. Targeted sectors for growth will include IT and media, advanced engineering and aerospace, the food and drink industry and the medical and health care industry. In addition, Bodmin is a focus for housing growth in the emerging South-West Regional Spatial Strategy and in the North Cornwall Local Development Framework.

5. HOW DO WE GET THERE? There are a range of opportunities, including emerging projects and initiatives upon which this Framework Plan can build. The existing town centre initiatives have been highlighted in chapter 1 of this document. As indicated, perhaps the most important catalyst is the position of Bodmin within the sub-regional hierarchy and its focus for significant growth in the future. This is a huge opportunity to attract inward investments to the district and into the town centre especially. The town centre is also a potential focus for new sources of public funding aimed at facilitating development and the infrastructure investment. There are a number of other emerging influences. These include:

Enhanced Developer Interest Relatively low economic growth over recent years and property market demand has left retail, office and industrial markets fairly stagnant. Competition from other centres has exacerbated this concern. There are, however, signs that developer interest is again growing. The South-West RDA is developing the former St Lawrence’s Hospital site for a high quality technology park. Housing demand is also growing with an interest in mixed use development schemes. This is to be welcomed. It is the District Council’s aim that the Framework Plan with its clear vision and guidance on the key potential development sites will help stimulate this interest further.


Informal PartnershipsThere are a multitude of partnerships involving public private and not-for-profit organisations, without legal form. They are now the preferred way of reaching consensus on many issues, and are particularly useful for bringing together disparate partners to define a vision for and action needed in local communities.

Joint venture or development agreements are typically entered into with the public sector providing the land and the private sector providing development expertise, funding and undertaking development risk for an agreed return subject to overage share.

Non-statutory Legal EntitiesThis category of delivery agency can encompass four main types of legal entity which we review in turn:

A company limited by shares.

A company limited by guarantee.

A limited liability partnership.

An Urban Regeneration Company.

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Company Limited by SharesThis is the common commercial model. Companies are able to borrow, raise equity capital by issuing shares, and can distribute profits. This in itself can cause problems and misunderstandings where the prime objective for regeneration projects is not necessarily to make a profit. Regulatory requirements are quite onerous and since the company is liable for tax this can add another layer of complication. This does not just involve the risk of having to pay tax on a trading surplus but the difficulty in making best use of ‘trading’ losses. But the model is familiar which reduces set up and administration costs. The chief disadvantages is the complications introduced by the lack of tax transparency.

Company Limited by GuaranteeA company limited by guarantee is another familiar model and is widely used by both charities and regeneration agencies. It lacks the commercial suitability of a company limited by shares, since it does not distribute profits and is often constituted without sufficient capital to underpin a loan. But this makes it attractive to public and charitable funders who value resistance to profiteering inherent in a familiar model operating within an established regulatory framework.

5.1 Mechanisms for Delivery

This section considers different delivery options for implementing the regeneration of the above sites with a reasoned recommendation.

OverviewIn broad terms there are four main mechanisms for implementing urban development:

Single agency led delivery.

Informal partnerships.

Non-statutory legal entities.

Statutory local agencies.

Single Agency ApproachThe single agency approach occurs where the public sector undertake direct implementation of the development. It gives maximum control to the public sector but depends upon the availability of development finance, expertise and an appetite for risk.

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DELIVERY OF THE STRATEGY


Limited Liability PartnershipThis is a new legal form, introduced by statute in 2000, and has its origins in the desire of major consulting partnerships such as auditors and solicitors to avoid unlimited liability while preserving their advantageous tax status. But it has some wider advantages. Broadly, it combines some of the flexibilities of a company structure with the accounting and tax transparency of the professional partnerships, where income is only taxed in the hands of the partners. Furthermore Limited Liability Partnerships with an income of £1m or less are spared much of the burden of filing accounts etc.

Urban Regeneration CompanyThe URC model which was “launched” by DTLR some three years ago is simply one form of non-statutory legal entity which, through its title, has more formal status in government circles in the field of development and regeneration. However, the title does not necessarily confer any additional funding “muscle” and in reality this type of Agency draws its strength from its membership. In the case of URCs these are generally the Local Authorities, the RDA and EP.

Conclusions on Non-statutory Legal Entities On balance we would rule out a conventional company structure (limited by shares) as this creates tax complexities. Moreover, such a structure could give rise to disputes as to whom should benefit from any surpluses. We would also discount a URC because it might be seen a creating the wrong image and diluting the intentions of URCs.

The ‘Company Limited by Guarantee model is familiar and offers sufficient flexibility to take on most tasks where there is no need to raise capital from the private sector. However as private sector capital will be required this is inappropriate.

A Limited Liability Partnership might enjoy a more advantageous tax status and it might circumvent the problems both with the Local Government financial accounting regulations, and the effective delegation of discharge of statutory responsibilities. In both cases this needs to be confirmed, and this illustrates the lack of familiarity which is perhaps the main drawback of the model.

Statutory Local AgenciesThe most powerful and focused local Agency option is the New Town Corporation or Urban Development Corporation. These are the only statutory types of delivery agency readily available under existing legislation. They are capable of satisfying all the six identified benchmarks. However because of this high commitment from central government only very large and complex regeneration schemes will justify the designation of a UDC.

RecommendationWe recommend that delivery of the Bodmin Development Framework should be achieved where appropriate by means of an informal partnership structure bringing in the key public sector bodies as necessary – North Cornwall District Council, Bodmin Town Council and SWRDA. It is important that a management team representing the above is empowered to take the Implementation Strategy forward reporting back at regular intervals to their respective bodies. This will ensure that strategic decisions are taken collectively and then implemented by the management team and their professional advisers.

A development partner will be appointed in respect of each site / development package with the capacity to undertake the respective developments and all infrastructure that accompanies the development. This would be undertaken by means of a joint venture or development agreement which ensures that control on design and uses is retained by the public sector but that development risk is past to the private sector, selected through competition.

Acquisition of third party interests would be by negotiation, funded by the selected development partner, although the Council would need to resolve to use its compulsory purchase powers, if necessary. Where gap funding is required to deliver the proposed development, SWRDA funding could be levered in to acquire strategic sites.

5.2 Viability and funding

We have considered all of the above sites having regard to development viability, early development opportunities and ability to deliver the site for development.

Dennison Road/Fore Street North

Dennison Road is a strategic site which has been identified as key to enable expansion and improvement of the town centre retail provision. The site provides an opportunity for early development with much of the land within the ownership of North Cornwall District Council.

Acquisition of third party land will be required in order to deliver the proposed development and discussions should be progressed with the relevant land owners, most significantly with West End Motors in respect of acquisition of their site and the doctors surgery in respect of relocation of the surgery within the scheme.

The parking lost through the Dennison Road development will be replaced on the Fore Street South site and we therefore recommend that both sites be packaged together and offered as a single development opportunity.

A marketing pack to include supportive technical information and design guide would need to be prepared. We would advocate a two stage selection process aimed at selecting a development partner for the delivery of the proposed scheme.


St Petroc’s GatewayThe St Petroc’s Gateway site is subject to multiple private ownerships and we consider this to be a medium to longer term development opportunity.

We consider the cost and logistics of site assembly to be prohibitive and therefore consider comprehensive development of the site to be unviable. We consider that this site should be delivered by the private sector and recommend that development of this area is encouraged on a piecemeal basis and that this development framework is used to guide development proposals as and when they come forward.

Dennison Road/Hotel Site

The proposed hotel site is in private ownership and we consider is an opportunity that should be delivered by the private sector with development proposals guided by this development framework.

Where gap funding is required in order to viably deliver the proposed development, NCDC could seek public sector funding support from the South of England RDA and potentially English Partnerships.

SWRDA

Regulations on state aid restrict the ability for SWRDA and other public funding sources to gap fund regeneration projects. Nevertheless, funding opportunities may exist for particular aspects of the scheme which meet SWRDA criteria. This may include funding in respect of the provision of commercial accommodation and public realm works.

English Partnerships

Statutory planning policy requires new housing scheme’s to provide 35% affordable housing. This has a considerable impact on the viability of the proposed development.

The site will contribute considerably to the need for affordable housing in Bodmin and North Cornwall and so having regard to the impact on viability, English Partnerships may be able to provide subsidy through their Housing Gap Funding Scheme in order to improve viability. The Housing Gap Funding Scheme is a tool available to the public sector to enable it to support regeneration and housing supply. The scheme enables Local Authorities, Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and English Partnerships to give grants to private developers and housing associations for housing led regeneration and development whilst remaining compliant with European State Aid rules.

Fore Street SouthFore Street South currently comprises a Council surface car park and shrub land/Burgage plots. It is proposed that the site will be developed for residential use and that the existing parking will be consolidated within a new multi storey car park whilst providing improved permeability from the site through to Fore Street. The new car park will also accommodate replacement car parking for that lost on the Dennison Road/Fore Street North Site.

The site is almost entirely in the ownership of North Cornwall District Council apart from three small plots of land to the rear of the properties fronting Fore Street and properties on Fore Street itself. The site therefore provides an opportunity for early development and as set out above should be packaged as a single development opportunity with Dennison Road/Fore Street North.

We recommend that the selected developer partner negotiate the acquisition of the third party land required.

Viability analysis of the proposed development of Fore Street South identifies a development deficit and therefore the scheme would require gap funding in order to assist with delivery. Alternatively the deficit could be reduced through extending the development in to the Burgage plots and creating further residential development.


5.3 Proposed Next Stages

Subject to endorsement of the development framework by the Council, we recommend the next stages be for a development strategy for the Dennison Road/Fore Street North and Fore Street South sites be developed by the project team as soon as possible.

In implementing the development strategy the project team recommend the following:

a) Further detailed design and strategic planning work should be undertaken to build upon the contents of this Framework Plan. This is likely to include further work to support the preparation of the Local Development Framework (including the allocation of specific areas of the town centre for redevelopment) and also development briefs/supplementary planning documents (and supporting design guidance) for the Dennison Road/Fore Street North and Fore Street South sites.

b) The Council should prepare for and obtain a resolution to use compulsory purchase powers, if necessary.

c) Dialogue should take place with strategic landowners.

d) Marketing of the Dennison Road/Fore Street North and Fore Street South sites in order to identify potential development partnership interest.

e) The development partner would be selected against the criteria of the development brief.

5.4 Planning Policy Recommendations

The contents of this Framework Plan will form part of the evidence base for various Development Plan Documents within the North Cornwall LDF. The proposals within Section 4 of this document will inform North Cornwall District Council’s identification/allocation of four key areas within the town centre and will form the basis for further more detailed work for the Fore Street North & South areas. There are, however, likely to be other areas of the town centre which will also face development pressures as a result of the attention placed upon the town centre by the Framework Plan.

A key area of change, outside of the four areas identified by this document, will be along Dennison Road between the Dennison Road West and Fore Street North sites. This area is shown on the global framework plan contained within Section 1 of this document. This area will form an important link between the planned retail expansion area and the planned new hotel, plus the end of the Camel Trail. Therefore, we propose that the LDF strategy for Bodmin town centre highlights this as an ‘Area of Change’ with development proposals required to adhere to the following principles:

Provide land uses which are appropriate to a town centre location, with retail and leisure uses only considered appropriate where they cannot be accommodated within more central parts of the centre.

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Provide a welcoming gateway in the town centre for Camel Trail visitors.

The design of new buildings should provide a good relationship with Dennison Road, including multi-level developments with commercial uses on the ground floor and residential/commercial uses above.

From the outset the design of proposals in this area should ensure that air quality issues are taken into account.

Proposals should not affect the operation of Dennison Road as a key highway route through the town centre.

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A: PUBLIC CONSULTATION EXHIBITION BOARDS

B: BASELINE REVIEW

C: UPDATED (INTERIM) RETAIL FLOORSPACE CAPACITY

PROJECTIONS FOR BODMIN

Bodmin Town Centre Framework · PDF fileand key principles which will guide planning, ... town...

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Transcript of Bodmin Town Centre Framework · PDF fileand key principles which will guide planning, ... town...