St Ives development complaint: 'Cornwall Council told me to use net curtains'
A ST IVES man objecting to the building of a balcony that will look straight into the bedroom of his listed home says Cornwall Council have told him: "Use net curtains!"
Jonathan Thomas owns Moonfleet Cottage on St Eia Street in the pretty Downalong area of St Ives – a listed cottage in the middle of a conservation area.
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St Ives development complaint: 'Cornwall Council told me to use net curtains'
When he heard one of his neighbours was to renovate their cottage he thought it would improve the neighbourhood.
Mr Thomas said: "But then the bombshell … a balcony is to be constructed less than five metres away looking directly into my bedroom window."
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When he complained to Cornwall Council he said they told him that people in areas like Downalong had to accept being overlooked – and should use net curtains.
Planning officers said existing steps used to enter his neighbour's property set a precedent for "overlooking" and that people in other houses – and in the street – could also see in.
A letter from Cornwall Council planning department said: "As you will appreciate the character of St Ives is of traditional two and three-storey dwellings situated in close proximity to each other with mutual overlooking.
"Under these circumstances residents clearly have to accept a certain degree of loss of privacy, and in many locations adopt solutions such as the use of net curtains to reduce the problem."
Mr Thomas – who DOES have net curtains – said: "This is the first time I have heard that a planning application was granted because the neighbours had net curtains so wouldn't be affected by the intrusion and noise."
Mr Thomas has written to the Government's planning ombudsman and says he is awaiting a reply.
He said: "A balcony is totally out of keeping with the listed building status of the property according to the local town council. [Cornwall] Council have admitted that my property will be affected and they have admitted not contacting me but they do not acknowledge that there has been any breach in their procedure."
A Cornwall Council spokesperson said that while next door neighbours of the property had been contacted, Mr Thomas had not received a letter about the application "as [his] property does not abut the application site".
"There were notices displayed near the site, the application was advertised on our website, and was advertised in the local press. We therefore more than complied with statutory requirements and procedures.
"Planning applications will not be refused consent solely where objections are received if it is considered there is no sustainable planning reason why permission should be denied."
4 Comments
by sloopforone
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:12PM
“I fully sympathise with Mr Thomas. I live in Downalong and my parents live two streets up in a similar terrace cottage. When I saw the scaffolding in St Eia Street, I assumed it was the usual re-roofing works.
Having lived in St Ives since 2002 it is obvious that the planning department have lost all control in the town and fail to think three dimensionally about development proposals. Recent developments opposite the Porthminster Hotel has significantly reduced visibility for road users presenting a soon to be accident hot spot. Residential developments adjacent to the Tate overlooking the Porthmeor are a kin to something you'd see in Benidorm (apart from the token slate cladding). There's now a claustrophobic urban feel to entering and exiting St Ives which wasn't there three years ago.
Don't get me wrong, I am not apposed to development, I am a young practicing Civil Engineer and my day job is getting things built.
The net curtain response highlights the planning department's lack of understanding that their role exists to approve/control developments that enhance the living environment for residents/communities and preserve the conservation of the built environment, especially in this historic area of the town. Granting permission to make already overlooked properties more overlooked whilst simultaneously setting a president for all the 'listed' properties to have balconies is a joke.
Good luck to Mr Thomas and I hope a spot light gets shone on the shameful planning approvals being granted in the town.”
by sloopforone
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:11PM
“I fully sympathise with Mr Thomas. I live in Downalong and my parents live two streets up in a similar terrace cottage. When I saw the scaffolding in St Eia Street, I assumed it was the usual re-roofing works.
Having lived in St Ives since 2002 it is obvious that the planning department have lost all control in the town and fail to think three dimensionally about development proposals. Recent developments opposite the Porthminster Hotel has significantly reduced visibility for road users presenting a soon to be accident hot spot. Residential developments adjacent to the Tate overlooking the Porthmeor are a kin to something you'd see in Benidorm (apart from the token slate cladding). There's now a claustrophobic urban feel to entering and exiting St Ives which wasn't there three years ago.
Don't get me wrong, I am not apposed to development, I am a young practicing Civil Engineer and my day job is getting things built.
The net curtain response highlights the planning department's lack of understanding that their role exists to approve/control developments that enhance the living environment for residents/communities and preserve the conservation of the built environment, especially in this historic area of the town. Granting permission to make already overlooked properties more overlooked whilst simultaneously setting a president for all the 'listed' properties to have balconies is a joke.
Good luck to Mr Thomas and I hope a spot light gets shone on the shameful planning approvals being granted in the town.”
by sloopforone
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:11PM
“I fully sympathise with Mr Thomas. I live in Downalong and my parents live two streets up in a similar terrace cottage. When I saw the scaffolding in St Eia Street, I assumed it was the usual re-roofing works.
Having lived in St Ives since 2002 it is obvious that the planning department have lost all control in the town and fail to think three dimensionally about development proposals. Recent developments opposite the Porthminster Hotel has significantly reduced visibility for road users presenting a soon to be accident hot spot. Residential developments adjacent to the Tate overlooking the Porthmeor are a kin to something you'd see in Benidorm (apart from the token slate cladding). There's now a claustrophobic urban feel to entering and exiting St Ives which wasn't there three years ago.
Don't get me wrong, I am not apposed to development, I am a young practicing Civil Engineer and my day job is getting things built.
The net curtain response highlights the planning department's lack of understanding that their role exists to approve/control developments that enhance the living environment for residents/communities and preserve the conservation of the built environment, especially in this historic area of the town. Granting permission to make already overlooked properties more overlooked whilst simultaneously setting a president for all the 'listed' properties to have balconies is a joke.
Good luck to Mr Thomas and I hope a spot light gets shone on the shameful planning approvals being granted in the town.”
by Fuzzyfuzzball
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:27AM
“I presume this will be no further out than the steps below? I see both sides of the story. There is a window there anyway so you are replacing the view they already had with a view about 2 foot closer. Still, it will be giving a feeling of greater intrusion given the narrowness of the street.
The other viewpoint is that these houses are small and offer no chance for outside space, this gives the owner some opportunity to be at home and outside.”