Cornwall's G7 hotel WILL have to pull down controversial meeting rooms
The Carbis Bay Hotel has lost an appeal against an enforcement notice
Last updated 10th Feb 2022
The hotel which hosted world leaders for the G7 summit will have to remove meeting rooms erected without planning permission after losing an appeal against an enforcement notice.
The Carbis Bay Hotel started works on the meeting rooms early last year claiming that they were required for the G7 summit which took place in June 2021.
However the hotel did not have planning permission for the development and it attracted a wave of objections from people unhappy that it was damaging a wildlife habitat.
Cornwall Council investigated the development but held off on taking enforcement action after the hotel submitted a retrospective planning application.
However the council stepped in and told the hotel to remove the three buildings after the proprietors decided to withdraw the planning application.
The hotel then launched an appeal against the enforcement notice which has now been decided on by the planning inspectorate.
In that decision the inspector has upheld the enforcement notice and said that the appeal should not succeed.
The hotel had claimed that whilst the buildings were initially to provide meeting rooms for the G7 summit they were now being used to provide accommodation for the hotel.
They claimed that this would mean that the development would comply with planning policy which supports developments which will contribute to the tourism economy.
However, while the inspector acknowledged this he said that it did not overcome the harm which the development was seen to have caused to the environment and landscape.
Outlining the planning balance of his decision Mr Jarratt said: "I have found very significant harm to the character and appearance of the landscape which is contrary to national and local policies. Whilst issues relating to ecology and biodiversity, and to drainage, coastal and land stability could be mitigated through the imposition of appropriately worded conditions these would not overcome the level of harm I have found.
"Although it is to the hotel’s considerable credit that it has hosted the G7 summit and now wishes to adapt the meeting rooms to holiday accommodation, the economic benefits arising from the development, despite attracting significant weight, are insufficient to outweigh the harm to the landscape".
Under the enforcement notice the hotel has been ordered to demolish the three buildings and to reinstate the land to its former level, gradient and condition before the development was undertaken.