Plans to demolish Penzance restaurant submitted

The Waterside Meadery in Penzance has been there for more than 50 years

A planning application has been submitted that would lead to the demolition of a popular restaurant, if approved.

Cornwall Council Harbours has applied to demolish the Waterside Meadery in Penzance as part of the modernisation of the harbour.

The project is part of the wider economic regeneration of the town and is funded by the government through the Town Deal fund.

The restaurant owners said they were "very disappointed" and closure would lead to the loss of 27 jobs.

The demolition of the meadery building, which is owned by Cornwall Council Harbours, will allow for off-road space for HGVs to park up and unload their cargo, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A planning statement said this would reduce congestion on the quay.

A petition to save the meadery has been signed by 11,000 people. 

The council has said it has worked with the owners for more than a year to help them find a new location.

Waterside Meadery was started by Robin Smith in 1970, who said the restaurant was "part of Penzance life now”.

He said: "I am disgusted that a council can do this to a restaurant that has been in business for over 50 years and has paid hundreds of thousands of pounds in rent and rates and millions into the local economy for supplies, not to mention the 27 jobs that will be lost because of this.”

The business is now run by his daughter Emily Stephens and her husband Jon.

She said of the demolition application, which was submitted on 5 March: “We’re very disappointed. I’m not against development, but do it right.

"To knock down a thriving business for what is effectively a car park which won’t house as many vehicles as they would like to and which won’t absolutely clear the congestion there just seems a shame."

The demolition forms part of plans to regenerate Penzance harbour

The council said the business's lease agreement of 2015 included an 18-month demolition clause that was served in December 2023.

Mr Stephens said: “You see all the time about hospitality businesses in crisis, but we’re busy. We’re a thriving business and employ 27 people all year round. They want to close that. The recompense we’re getting won’t even cover half of our costs."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “It is a project that has been developed to meet the ambitions of the local community.

“The harbour has seen an increase in activity and turnover over recent years and the modernisation will further support the long-term economic sustainability of the area."