Coinagehall Street
Coinagehall Street Penzance
What is Treveth?
Treveth, the Cornish word for ‘Homestead’, is a partnership business set up by Cornwall Council in April 2019 to create new homes and commercial development to benefit people who live and work in Cornwall.
Who owns Treveth?
Treveth is 99% owned by Cornwall Council and 1% by the Corserv Group Limited. All of the profits generated from our activities are returned to our partners for use in providing services to the County.
Why was Treveth set up?
Treveth was established through Cornwall Council’s determination to improve Cornish people’s lives. Our role is to assist the Council in delivering its objectives of improved housing, economic growth and job creation.
What makes Treveth’s homes different?
Treveth’s objective is to improve the quality of new homes in Cornwall, especially in the private rented market. Our homes exceed current minimum space standards, across all tenures, and are designed to help reduce the running costs for occupants through the use of low carbon technologies including solar panels and sustainable energy solutions.
What tenures are available?
Treveth’s homes are available to rent or buy, and we plan to offer shared ownership so there are no affordability ‘gaps’ in our developments. Our housing schemes will fulfil Local Plan requirements for affordable homes, with schemes generally including an element of homes for open market sale, and the remainder for private rent. This may differ from scheme to scheme depending on what the local market requires. Treveth are committed to each of our developments, long term, through the continued ownership of our rental properties and the wider management of our schemes to ensure our sites are maintained to the highest standards.
Why does Treveth offer three-year tenancies as standard?
Cornwall has a big problem with seasonality of the private rented market which results in short term tenancies, large fluctuations in rent payable between summer and off-season all of which has an impact on occupier stability. This makes it difficult for people to put down roots in their communities if they can only occupy a property for six months.
Treveth rental properties have leases that last three years, and if tenants want to renew at the end of that period then they will be given every opportunity to do so. This allows individuals and families to grow in the communities they live in.
OUR PROPOSALS FOR COINAGEHALL STREET & ST ANTHONY GARDENS
What is proposed for the site?
The site is allocated in the Cornwall Local Plan Development Plan Document under allocation PZ-M2, and is also allocated within the emerging Penzance Neighbourhood Plan. This means that Cornwall Council have identified it as a future development site to deliver a Mixed-Use scheme with a high-quality design.
Treveth propose to demolish the existing derelict and unsafe buildings and build a high-quality development containing 36 residential apartments and mews houses for rent and sale to local people, and 7 commercial properties for a mix of uses including workspace and hospitality.
In addition to the redevelopment of the Coinagehall Street site, Treveth have also been awarded Future High Street Funding by the Government to assist in the regeneration of St Anthonys Gardens and the surrounding public realm. This will endeavour to improve the connection of Penzance Town Centre with The Promenade and Jubilee Pool, retaining key historical features whilst providing a better public realm and useable open space which will be enjoyed by local people and visitors alike.
Treveth will be working closely with the Penzance Town Fund to deliver a high-quality development for Penzance.
How many affordable homes would be built?
Treveth are committed to delivering policy compliant developments and providing affordable housing for local people. The Coinagehall Street development will therefore have 30% affordable housing, split 70:30 between Affordable Rent and Shared Ownership properties.
How do we know homes will be for local people?
Treveth’s lettings policy prioritises local people first when renting its properties, with its developments aimed at households who have a local link either through residency, employment or close family. This policy is also extended to homes for sale. To date, across Treveth’s developments, 100 per cent of lettings have been to local people. All affordable homes are allocated to people on Cornwall Council’s Homechoice register, who must also demonstrate local links in the same way.
Will the new homes be of good quality and in character with the area?
Treveth’s ambition is to provide high quality homes that achieve net zero carbon emissions. All Treveth homes are designed to be accessible and adaptable. Fossil fuel-free heating, upgraded insulation, features such as solar panels and sustainable heat sources, including air source heat pumps, contribute to an overall low energy strategy and lower running costs, also helping tackle fuel poverty.
What provision will be made for increased demand on local services and amenities?
The development will be required to make financial contributions to local education and health provision through Section 106 contributions, as defined by the local authority.
Are you getting rid of St Anthonys Gardens?
Certainly not! We were approached several years ago by the local member for Penzance and asked to include the regeneration of the underused and run-down gardens within our proposals for the redevelopment of the Former Taylor’s Garage site on Coinagehall Street. As such, we were awarded Future High Street Funding by the Government to help deliver the works to the gardens and the surrounding public realm, to improve the wider area and connectivity from the Town Centre, Harbour and Promenade.
The proposals aim to revitalise St Anthony Gardens by creating an open and welcome garden setting, whilst reconnecting the gardens with Coinagehall Street. The proposed path through the gardens will create a step free access from Battery Road up to Coinagehall Street development and wider Penzance.
The historic archway & fountain will be retained within St Anthony gardens. Some of the existing walls will be taken down to open the gardens and maximise the spectacular sea views, and all of the stone walling is to be reused within the revitalised St Anthony Gardens, car park and the proposed Pavilion building.
Multiple seating opportunities will be created within the garden space. The same seating found along the Penzance Promenade will be used within the gardens. These will be used to create social clusters of the single seats, while also providing the extra-long benches.
Why are you removing the existing planting in the Gardens?
The existing planting within the gardens is of poor quality and unfortunately has very little biodiversity value, it is also not suited to the exposed environment in which the gardens are located. The new planting is intending to create a colourful and vibrant back drop to this public space.
It is proposed to use a variety of plants to offer a visually pleasing environment while also benefiting nature. A wide range of plants have been selected in order to provide a year round visual interest. Tall grasses will move in the coastal winds while colourful flower spikes are placed throughout all the planting mixes. A sensory planting mix has been developed and is located along many of the pathways within the gardens. Treveth intend to work with local schools and local groups to replant and revitalise the planting within the gardens.
The proposals have intended to develop a planting palette that can withstand the harsh coastal conditions and ever-growing unpredictable climate conditions we are experiencing. Plant varieties have been selected for their resistance to drought conditions and lower maintenance requirements
What about the historical features that could be in the Gardens?
We are working with Cotswold Archaeology, Cornwall Council’s Conservation Officer and Historic Environment Planning Team, and Historic England to ensure our proposals proportionately investigate and preserve significant historic and archaeological features in line with Planning Policy.
We have already confirmed that the historic archway will be retained within the gardens, and the fountain will be refurbished and put back into use.
Having undertaken a detailed assessment Cotswold Archaeology have confirmed that due to the significant clearance works, past damage and changes in the area over the past several decades and the likely lack of significant remains being present a watching brief has been requested by the Local Planning Authority, rather than detailed trenching and evaluation. The watching brief will ensure that if anything is present, it is recorded appropriately before further damage, but the fact that this is what has been requested by the LPA rather than trenching or excavation means that whilst they think there is a chance something will be there, it is by no means expected to be extensive and well preserved.
The Heritage Assessment and all supporting reports are available for you to view on Cornwall Council’s planning portal.
Penzance have a keen Boules club, what about them?
We are thrilled that Penzance have a club dedicated to boules and as such have committed to installing two boules courts within the gardens in order that the club may continue to use them, with a more appropriate surface and environment.
Who will maintain the gardens?
The long term maintenance of the gardens will sit with Treveth, as will the long term maintenance of the development. This will ensure that they are kept to a high standard and are not allowed to slip into disrepair or be misused. Treveth are keen to work with local community groups and schools on the maintenance of the gardens, and to also maintain a relationship with Nancealverne School and the great work they have been doing recently in St Anthonys Gardens.
What is happening to the car park?
The car park will be retained, but we will be making the spaces compliant with modern standards and therefore more usable. We will also be installing several disabled spaces, more secure bicycle parking and introducing some planting. We will also be reusing the stone from the gardens to make improvements to the car park boundaries. The car park will remain a public facility, but there could be a short period of time it is unavailable whilst works are undertaken.
What happens next and what are the timescales?
Our planning application was submitted to Cornwall Council in October 2023 and is currently being considered by the planning department and statutory consultees. We are hopeful that the application will be determined by March 2024.
You can learn more about Treveth at www.treveth.co.uk
