Controversial plans for clifftop road approved

The plans include demolishing the Hotel Bristol

A proposal to demolish several buildings along a clifftop road in Newquay and replace them with 176 apartments and a new hotel has been approved.

Cornwall Council's planning department agreed the plan for Narrowcliff at a meeting on Friday.

A town councillor said it was "desperately disappointing" the decision was taken behind closed doors under delegated powers.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said the normal processes have been followed.

The Hotel Bristol Narrowcliff scheme attracted more than 700 objections, town councillor Joanna Kerry said.

"While I expected this extraordinarily unpopular approval," she said, "it is still desperately disappointing that Cornwall Council did not follow the normal process of calling the application into the central planning sub-committee."

She said the town council was considering legal action: "A further departure from the normal process is the failure to publish the delegated report that would purport to explain their permission.

"With the town council known to be considering a judicial review based on abuse of process and other issues – and with the known time constraints in such an action – the delay in loading a vital piece of evidence raises a few eyebrows," she added.

'An all-time low'

The building will consist of five storeys plus a roof extension, which is higher than the agreed limit of four storeys established in the Newquay Neighbourhood Plan, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Kenny said the decision "will set whole new standards for tall buildings right across our town.

“I would say that we have left the period where the two councils worked well together to an all-time low,” she added.

When asked last November if a decision behind closed doors could be deemed undemocratic, a spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “The application has followed all the normal and correct publicity and consultation processes.

"All representations received will be fully considered during the determination of the planning application.”

Developer Salboy said "reaching this milestone" meant it was now able to plan the next phase and "get started on the regeneration of Narrowcliff".

Managing director Simon Ismail said: "We remain committed to creating a development that not only enhances the local area and also contributes positively to the community."