Cornwall planning: Redevelopment of beach resort with 190 holiday units

Plans to completely redevelop a large beach resort are among the latest planning applications submitted to Cornwall Council. Every week more than 100 applications are validated by Cornwall Council and we have selected some of the more interesting proposals.

All planning applications submitted to the council have to be validated and are available for inspection by the public. Anyone is also allowed to submit comments about the applications - whether in support or objection.

The majority of applications are decided by planning officers at the council under delegated powers. However, some applications will go before elected councillors who sit on planning committees. No dates have been set for when the planning applications below will be determined. They can be viewed by going to the planning portal on Cornwall Council’s website.

Redevelopment of beach resort with 190 holiday units

A beach resort in Cornwall, which has been operating since the 1950s, has applied for a complete redevelopment which would see the replacement of 103 holiday units with the addition of up to 87 more. Millendreath Holiday Village also wants to build a restaurant building, a central facilities building, a tennis court, car parking, passing places, re-alignment of the coastal path, hard and soft landscaping, fixed surface infrastructure and other associated works including the creation of a new flood alleviation channel.

The large holiday resort is located near Looe within a 90-acre Cornish valley. The site comprises 65 acres of woodland located to the north and its own private beach located to the south of the resort.

Millendreath grew in the 1950s and '60s as a holiday resort with restaurant, cabins, caravans and recreational facilities. A number of dwellings were also built on the eastern valley, which remain today. There are a number of on-site facilities in situ including a restaurant and bar as well as a sea pool. There is also a flood wall at the front of the site this includes access roads to the private beach.

A document supporting the application states: "Millendreath Beach Resort is a carefully considered scheme that aims to integrate 190 holiday units into the natural landscape of a Cornish valley in the south east of the county. This development seeks to enhance the region's tourism economy, integrating with the already established appeal of nearby Looe and Seaton while respecting the character and ecology of the site."

The site is divided into four key character areas: the Woodland, the Valley Floor, the Hillside and the Beachfront. The Woodland area is proposed to host around 27 units, comprising a mix of three and four-bedroom accommodation situated along a winding pathway. At the end of the path lies The Spinney, which includes a further seven units, also a mix of three- and four-bedroom accommodation.

The Valley Floor is proposed to accommodate the majority of the development, with 72 units consisting of three and four-bedroom ones, alongside the facilities building. The Hillside would feature 50 units, comprising a mix of three and four-bedroom accommodation, arranged across two tiers. The Beachfront, located in the south of the site, is proposed to include 26 units, consisting of one and two-bedroom units. These are arranged in terraces and stacked two high to form three separate blocks, spread across two tiers.

The Seahorses site would contain a further eight units, comprising one and two-bedrooms, located on the former site of the pumping station. The houses are for holiday purposes only.

The facilities building would serve as a central hub for the Millendreath Beach Resort, offering amenities such as customer support and a linen store, alongside a pool and spa, a gym and yoga space, as well as other activity rooms and a café - all within a 2,000m² building.

"The restaurant on the beachfront will provide holidaymakers and passers-by with a pleasant setting to enjoy a meal or drink while taking in stunning coastal views. Equipped with a commercial kitchen, bar area and roof terrace, the restaurant represents a significant improvement on the current facilities at Millendreath," adds the application.

The scheme offers 330 parking spaces (including disabled spaces) plus approximately 80 existing spaces. To minimise on-site construction time and reduce construction waste, all holiday units will be prefabricated off-site. This method allows for precise assembly and reduced environmental impact," says the applicant.

For more details see planning application PA25/03028.

Turning former chapel into community hub

An application has been received to change the use of the former Devoran Methodist Chapel into a community hub in a village "with limited facilities and no shop".

The ground floor area of the main chapel and the balcony area is proposed to be used for the restoration and storage of antiques. The former Sunday school section of the chapel building is proposed to be used as a photography space or studio in order for the building's owners to create a website for their antiques business, as well as to hire out for other photographic shoots for interiors, arts and fashions and events space for the community.

A statement says: "The intention is to create a flexible use space that will allow a range of complementary activities to take place depending on local need and demand (e.g. yoga/pilates/dance classes). These uses are intended to be low key in terms of impact to complement the residential nature of the surrounding area. No events that could cause noise and disturbance (e.g. discos or weddings) are proposed in the re-purposed building and events are proposed to finish by 8pm on weekdays and earlier on Sundays."

In the former vestry/ kitchen adjoining the Sunday school, this area is proposed to be used as a small scale community café. The detached garage is proposed to used for either additional seating or alternatively a community shop. The shop is intended to provide essential items plus local produce sourced from local farms and other producers. In summer months further outdoor seating areas could be located in the rear forecourt.

For more details see planning application PA25/03062.

New housing scheme

A permission in principle application has been received for a housing scheme of up to nine homes on land at Blackwater, near Truro.

A supporting statement says: "The proposed development seeks to deliver a small-scale residential scheme in direct response to Cornwall’s acute housing needs. The intention is to create a sustainable and context-sensitive development of up to nine dwellings, contributing positively to local housing supply. While tenure and mix are to be confirmed at the technical stage, the proposal supports the delivery of housing in accordance with both local and national planning objectives."

For more details see planning application PA25/03125.

New homes near football club

A permission in principle application has been made for five homes on an undeveloped field adjacent to St Day Football Club at Vogue. The site and the village, as well as the football club, are all located within the World Heritage Site area.

For more details see planning application PA25/02895.

New artificial grass pitch at college

Torpoint Community College has applied for planning permission to create a new external sports pitch development with associated features including a 79m x 52m pitch with 3G artificial grass to accommodate a variety of youth football pitches and training areas.

The proposal also includes a hardstanding viewing area and goal storage areas, 4.5m high fencing to the perimeter of the facility , six floodlighting columns and a maintenance / sports equipment store.

A supporting statement says: "The provision of a new artificial grass pitch will provide increased usage in comparison to the existing grassed playing field, for benefit of the college local football clubs, partner organisations and other sports clubs in the surrounding area, via pre-arranged and structured access."

For more details see planning application PA25/02808.

Turning former Peacocks shop into flats

A plan has submitted to convert a former Peacocks store in Trelowarren Street, Camborne, into a smaller ground floor shop with eight flats on the ground and first floors.

For more details see planning application PA25/02700.