Judicial review considered over seafront plans

Many people are against the plans which would alter the look of Narrowcliff

A Cornwall town council is considering a judicial review if controversial plans for a Newquay seafront development are not decided by a planning committee, it says.

Newquay Town Council said it was considering taking Cornwall Council to court if planning officers approved the proposals behind closed doors for the Narrowcliff site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reports.

Developer Salboy wants to demolish the historic Hotel Bristol and replace it with a block of 176 apartments and a 40-bedroom hotel.

Cornwall Council said the application "followed all the normal and correct publicity and consultation processes".

A leading architect, who did not wish to be named, has questioned why the matter has not been called to committee when it has received more than 750 public objections.

He said: “The planning officer, with that number of objections, should be saying: ‘I can’t support this in its current form.'”

The scheme, aiming to regenerate the area, was described as “hideous” and a “monstrosity” by local people when submitted in 2022.

Earlier in 2023, Salboy came back with an amended scheme it said would be more in-keeping and sympathetic to the area, but it was still met with a backlash.

Newquay Town Council is expected to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss the issue.

'Under real pressure'

Cllr Joanna Kenny, chair of Newquay’s planning and licensing committee, said: “My preference is that Cornwall Council thinks again about transparent decision-making, but it seems clear they fear that the normal review by the Cornwall Council planning committee would go against them."

She said: “Newquay is currently under real pressure from developers for high-level buildings that don’t resolve any of our current housing crisis.

"The proposal is for the equivalent of a six-storey building which would set the baseline for all future developments in Newquay.”

When asked for the latest on the plans and if a decision behind closed doors could be deemed “undemocratic”, Cornwall Council said it "followed all the normal and correct publicity and consultation processes" and "all representations received will be fully considered”.