ST STEPHEN BY LAUNCESTON RURAL PARISH – a gem to the north of Launceston Town
St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish has a ‘made’ Neighbourhood Plan after successfully going to Referendum on 14 November 2019. With a turnout of 43.7%, there was a vote of 85.3% in favour of a Neighbourhood Plan. The community had worked for several years to collect the evidence and work on policies that would be of benefit to the parishioners. It was a true communal effort. Helped by an excellent Planning Consultant, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee produced a document which has statutory weight and which must be referred to, along with the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) and the Cornwall Local Plan, when assessing planning applications. It can be found at https://ststephensruralnp.org.uk/ and we are immensely grateful for the time and effort gladly given by parishioners to produce it. Funding was available from Locality and the Referendum was paid for by Cornwall Council, so this valuable document cost the parishioners nothing financially, an important consideration in these austere times.
A Neighbourhood Development Plan gives people a voice in their ‘place’. It does not mean that they can prevent development ordered by central and local government, but they can have a say in the where and how that development is planned. Getting the balance right between the pressing need for appropriate housing and economic development with preserving our green spaces is essential for our health and well-being. We can address design and green technologies now so important to the massive environmental challenges facing us all. Cornwall Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and is encouraging Towns and Parishes to formulate Neighbourhood Plans which include policies on energy efficiency and renewable energy provision for all homes and businesses. St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish Council declared a Climate Change Action Plan in mid 2019. The community is committed to safeguarding its locality for future generations.
St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish surrounds Launceston Town to the north, east and west. It includes the designated Area of Great Landscape Value based on the Kensey Valley and now has three Village Greens, the latest registered in December 2019 at Truscott Pond. Many parishioners are keen environmentalists and local historians and wanted to conserve and increase biodiversity around Truscott Pond, the most ancient drover’s pond in North Cornwall. The Parish Council had already obtained a Licence to Plant and Maintain the area from Cornwall Council and the verges are a delight for walkers, visitors and parishioners in spring, summer and autumn. The pond and associated hedgerows have Historic Environment listing. We have sighted a kingfisher by the pond and now I hear that a resident has recently seen a heron. There is also a pair of mallard – in 2018 a pair bred on the pond. Our parishioners have planted over 300 trees in the parish and they are now managing them, being mindful of the advantages for biodiversity in the area.
But, not content with just ‘sitting back and smelling the roses’, the parishioners now have a plan to establish a Local Nature Reserve in the area around Truscott Village Green Pond. The Parish Council has appointed a Working Party to gather the information and we are enrolling our knowledgeable experts to help us along. Local Nature Reserve status would give the Parish the right to care for and protect the area for wildlife and flora biodiversity management and environmental education. It adds extra weight for protection. The parishioners of St Stephen by Launceston Rural Parish certainly care about their environment and they are doing their best for Climate Change. They deserve every success.
