Governs Park

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Governs Park

Pre-application engagement opportunity

Langarth Garden Village (LGV) was granted outline planning permission on 05 April 2022. The planning decision and associated documents can be found on Cornwall Council’s planning system under reference PA20/09631. News and updates can be found on the LGV website, from where there are also links to social media.

As part of the development, there will be many hectares of green infrastructure including natural areas, open spaces and allotments as well as many miles of cycling and walking routes, and a range of community facilities.

Cornwall Council is working to ensure that natural greenspace is available to residents from early stages. We are preparing the first Reserved Matters Application (RMA) to grant detailed planning consent for around 35ha of natural greenspace and over 6km of walking and cycling routes at Governs. Before submitting the application, we would like your views on our proposals.

Please note the site plan showing proposals and further information is provided in the documents available to download from this page. You will need Adobe Reader to view the files in full detail.

What is Governs Park?

Governs is a large block of land at the eastern end of the development. It is currently farmed through sheep grazing and arable production. Part of the wider Governs land has been set aside as a key green space for future residents of the scheme as well as existing residents in the surrounding areas, including Threemilestone, Kenwyn and Truro.

It includes a Scheduled Ancient Monument – known locally as Governs Round – which to date has been inaccessible to the public. Historic England are being consulted in relation to Governs Round, and their feedback to date has informed proposals for access and their feedback to date has informed proposals for access and management.

There are spectacular views over surrounding landscapes from the higher parts of the site, and more enclosed areas where there is woodland in the valleys and on the slopes.

What is the purpose of a Reserved Matters Application (RMA)?

With outline planning permission in place for Langarth Garden Village, the RMA is the next step. It translates the principles and parameters defined in the Outline Planning Permission into more detailed plans. It will show how the site will be accessed and how it will be managed to maximise recreational, educational and biodiversity benefits.

How have these proposals been developed?

Proposals are being developed in close liaison with Natural England, who want to see this space acting as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG). A SANG is a greenspace that will attract visitors including dog walkers to the site. This will help to reduce user pressure on more sensitive nature areas such as Penhale Sands.

There will also be 3 hectares of woodlark mitigation on site, the land for which will continue to be farmed as arable with winter stubble as required by the species for over-wintering in the area. Woodlark areas will be fenced as their agricultural use would mean they are not suitable for public access and dog walking. There will however be wide margins around these areas with grass paths and wildflowers, so that there is an opportunity to see into the areas.

The Park will be accessed via the existing track for cyclists and pedestrians, and a new road for car users, which will also service development parcels to the north. This will ensure that the existing lane can be retained in its current wooded character, continuing to act as a bat corridor. Whilst access by walking and cycling will be favoured, the option to visit by car will ensure that people of all ages and abilities can access this resource, including from surrounding areas such as Threemilestone. Having car access is also a requirement from Natural England for a SANG.

How will the greenspace be managed in the future?

The way the greenspace will be managed in future is important to enhance biodiversity of the area over time. The RMA will be accompanied by a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP). Landscape management will focus on enhancing biodiversity, including developing the improved grasslands into biodiverse meadows over time, creating wildflower margins, retaining and repairing Cornish hedges and managing them for biodiversity and creating new woodlands.

What are the next steps?

Should planning permission be granted, proposals would be tendered, contracted and implemented over the next 3 years or so. Long-term stewardship would also be put in place over this timeframe, so that ongoing future management can be secured from the opening of the greenspace to the public. It is envisaged that the greenspace may be available for public use from as early as 2025, subject to wider development timescales. Currently there is no public access to Governs Park, the land is still in agricultural use at present.

How can I give my views on the proposals?

Before submitting a Reserved Matters Planning Application, we would like to hear views on the emerging proposals from local residents. Please refer to the masterplan available from this page. We propose to submit the RMA in July 2022.

There is an opportunity to provide us with your thoughts using the feedback link at the end of this page. Feedback via the form on this page can be provided until 23 June 2022. Further opportunity for public comment will be during the formal planning application period, once the application has been submitted.





Governs Park

Pre-application engagement opportunity

Langarth Garden Village (LGV) was granted outline planning permission on 05 April 2022. The planning decision and associated documents can be found on Cornwall Council’s planning system under reference PA20/09631. News and updates can be found on the LGV website, from where there are also links to social media.

As part of the development, there will be many hectares of green infrastructure including natural areas, open spaces and allotments as well as many miles of cycling and walking routes, and a range of community facilities.

Cornwall Council is working to ensure that natural greenspace is available to residents from early stages. We are preparing the first Reserved Matters Application (RMA) to grant detailed planning consent for around 35ha of natural greenspace and over 6km of walking and cycling routes at Governs. Before submitting the application, we would like your views on our proposals.

Please note the site plan showing proposals and further information is provided in the documents available to download from this page. You will need Adobe Reader to view the files in full detail.

What is Governs Park?

Governs is a large block of land at the eastern end of the development. It is currently farmed through sheep grazing and arable production. Part of the wider Governs land has been set aside as a key green space for future residents of the scheme as well as existing residents in the surrounding areas, including Threemilestone, Kenwyn and Truro.

It includes a Scheduled Ancient Monument – known locally as Governs Round – which to date has been inaccessible to the public. Historic England are being consulted in relation to Governs Round, and their feedback to date has informed proposals for access and their feedback to date has informed proposals for access and management.

There are spectacular views over surrounding landscapes from the higher parts of the site, and more enclosed areas where there is woodland in the valleys and on the slopes.

What is the purpose of a Reserved Matters Application (RMA)?

With outline planning permission in place for Langarth Garden Village, the RMA is the next step. It translates the principles and parameters defined in the Outline Planning Permission into more detailed plans. It will show how the site will be accessed and how it will be managed to maximise recreational, educational and biodiversity benefits.

How have these proposals been developed?

Proposals are being developed in close liaison with Natural England, who want to see this space acting as a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG). A SANG is a greenspace that will attract visitors including dog walkers to the site. This will help to reduce user pressure on more sensitive nature areas such as Penhale Sands.

There will also be 3 hectares of woodlark mitigation on site, the land for which will continue to be farmed as arable with winter stubble as required by the species for over-wintering in the area. Woodlark areas will be fenced as their agricultural use would mean they are not suitable for public access and dog walking. There will however be wide margins around these areas with grass paths and wildflowers, so that there is an opportunity to see into the areas.

The Park will be accessed via the existing track for cyclists and pedestrians, and a new road for car users, which will also service development parcels to the north. This will ensure that the existing lane can be retained in its current wooded character, continuing to act as a bat corridor. Whilst access by walking and cycling will be favoured, the option to visit by car will ensure that people of all ages and abilities can access this resource, including from surrounding areas such as Threemilestone. Having car access is also a requirement from Natural England for a SANG.

How will the greenspace be managed in the future?

The way the greenspace will be managed in future is important to enhance biodiversity of the area over time. The RMA will be accompanied by a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP). Landscape management will focus on enhancing biodiversity, including developing the improved grasslands into biodiverse meadows over time, creating wildflower margins, retaining and repairing Cornish hedges and managing them for biodiversity and creating new woodlands.

What are the next steps?

Should planning permission be granted, proposals would be tendered, contracted and implemented over the next 3 years or so. Long-term stewardship would also be put in place over this timeframe, so that ongoing future management can be secured from the opening of the greenspace to the public. It is envisaged that the greenspace may be available for public use from as early as 2025, subject to wider development timescales. Currently there is no public access to Governs Park, the land is still in agricultural use at present.

How can I give my views on the proposals?

Before submitting a Reserved Matters Planning Application, we would like to hear views on the emerging proposals from local residents. Please refer to the masterplan available from this page. We propose to submit the RMA in July 2022.

There is an opportunity to provide us with your thoughts using the feedback link at the end of this page. Feedback via the form on this page can be provided until 23 June 2022. Further opportunity for public comment will be during the formal planning application period, once the application has been submitted.




  • Governs Park Feedback Form

    Please complete our feedback form to give your views on the emerging Governs Park proposals before we submit these as a formal planning application. This survey will close on 23/06/2022.

    Privacy Notice 

    We will use the information you provide to inform the proposals for Governs Park in Langarth Garden Village. Feedback will be compiled in an anonymous format into a schedule to enable documenting responses and informing the proposals.

    The Data Controller for the information you provide in this survey is Cornwall Council, New County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY. Data Protection Registration Number: Z1745294. Once the survey has closed, your data will be held within Cornwall Council’s secure network and premises for up to 2 years. Where we ask you to supply personal data on this form, we will only make access to this data available to authorised members of staff who are required to process it for the purposes outlined in this privacy notice. Please note that other information you provide, such as responses to open questions, may be published in full.

    The feedback will be shared with the Langarth Garden Village team, the design team for Governs Park (Lavigne Lonsdale and their subconsultants) and Cornwall Council officers.


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Page last updated: 17 Jun 2022, 03:04 PM