Design and Development

Newquay Growth Area

The Newquay Growth Area is a 100 hectare site to the east of Newquay in Cornwall that has been earmarked for development by the local authority as a way of meeting the future local business, housing, educational and health needs in a sustainable way.

Newquay itself is one of the country’s most popular seaside holiday resorts and attracts some 750,000 visitors a year. During the summer months the population of the town increases from 20,000 to 100,000.

The Duchy of Cornwall is the majority landowner of the site and is working with the local authority, to ensure that development on the Growth Area will champion sustainable development environmentally, socially and economically.

In 2004 there was a widespread public consultation which culminated in an Enquiry By Design.

The Enquiry by Design approach is a process created by The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment which invites the stakeholders of a proposed development (local authority, residents, developers, landowners, voluntary groups, representatives of employers and retailers) to collaborate in the production of a masterplan.

The masterplan for the Newquay Growth Area will be prepared by Leon Krier (who also prepared the masterplan for Poundbury).

The consultation process actively involved hundreds of local people and concluded that there is excellent potential to create an urban extension fully integrated with Newquay and delivering a broad-based and sustainable response to the identified needs of the community.
The process emphasized the importance of mixed-use places and communities, attractive streets, good public transport and adaptable building design.

Sustainability is at the heart of the masterplan, as is the need to reflect local needs and architectural identity. A Building Code for the Newquay Growth Area will ensure that developers are working in accordance with the overall vision of sustainability for the project. The Building Code is supported by a Pattern Book which documents existing Newquay architecture and will help to ensure the Growth Area is distinctively Cornish in style.

On 14th February 2007, The Duchy of Cornwall announced that a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the Newquay Growth Area, to the east of the existing town, has been submitted to Restormel Borough Council, to be considered as part of the forthcoming Independent Examination of the Council’s new Local Plan. This follows an extensive community consultation process. A planning application will follow the Independent Examination.

The scheme aims to control and minimise carbon emissions by generating renewable energy on site and maximising the energy efficiency of buildings. It is hoped that the development, with a significant proportion of homes classed as affordable, will also help to diversify and strengthen the local economy. The development will include a mix of shops, offices and community facilities, including a new primary school, alongside integrated private and affordable housing. It is expected that approximately 850 homes would be built on Duchy land, with a similar number of jobs created.

Click on the links below to read the Sustainability Strategy and supporting documents.