Cornwall's G7 hotel ordered to pull down meeting rooms - built without planning permission
The council has started enforcement proceedings after the Carbis Bay Hotel withdrew an application to keep them
The hotel which hosted world leaders for the G7 summit has been ordered to pull down meeting rooms which were built without planning permission.
The Carbis Bay Hotel had built the rooms which it said were required for the event in June but did not have planning permission to do so.
After protesters highlighted the works the hotel submitted a planning application seeking retrospective permission for the development.
Campaigners had spoken out against the works as they saw trees and wildlife habitats destroyed to make way for the buildings. More than 400 people had objected to the planning application for the development.
However it has now been announced that the hotel owners have now withdrawn the planning application and Cornwall Council has therefore launched enforcement proceedings.
The council said that it would be telling the hotel to demolish the buildings and return the site to its original form.
In a statement Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall Council can confirm that the planning application (PA21/02527) relating to the Carbis Bay Hotel has been withdrawn by the applicant.
“As a result, the Council has proceeded with enforcement action, which will require the unauthorised developments to be removed and for the land to be reinstated to its former levels, gradients and condition".
The enforcement notice does not come into effect until October 18th and the landowner has the right to lodge an appeal with the planning inspectorate against the notice before it comes into effect. If no appeal is lodged they have six months to comply.
The hotel had submitted similar plans to the council previously to build lodges on the site but that application was refused due to the impact it would have on the area.
After the works started earlier this year campaigners asked why Cornwall Council was not taking immediate enforcement action to stop the development.
The council said that once a planning application had been submitted it was decided to let that be decided in the usual process before deciding whether action should be taken.
Linda Taylor, Conservative Cornwall councillor for Carbis Bay, had asked that the application should go to a planning committee for determination by elected councillors. But now it has been withdrawn and that will not be necessary.
When the hotel submitted its latest plans it was spotted that some elements of the design and access statement included had been lifted from the previous application. Many objectors claimed that the buildings would not be meeting rooms but would be used as lodges.
The hotel’s claim that the rooms had been required for hosting the G7 summit were dismissed by the Cabinet Office which said that there had been sufficient facilities at the venue when it was chosen to host the event.
In June world leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden met in Carbis Bay to discuss everything from Covid-19 vaccines to climate change.
The event saw the world leaders not only holding business meetings but also enjoying a barbecue on the beach at Carbis Bay which also included a flyover display by the Red Arrows.
Cornwall Council has not indicated whether there is a timescale for when the hotel has to carry out the required works under the enforcement action.
In a statement issued when building work began, the hotel said: “The investments in the estate over recent years, including our on-site Energy Centre, have cemented Carbis Bay’s position as one of the UK’s best and greenest destinations, in one of the most beautiful bays in the country.
“We appreciate that our passion and commitment to the environment are shared by many, and would like to address the misunderstanding on social media, and reassure our guests and neighbours about the area that we are working on at the moment.
“Part of our long-standing plans for the estate included clearing a small self-seeded scrubland area to the side of the hotel, and work on this area started several years ago. We can confirm this was not ancient woodland and there are no badger setts on this piece of land.
“We are working closely with a local landscaping team to increase planting in this area replacing the scrubland with a plethora of trees and plants more suited to the coastal environment.
“The South West Coast Path is fully open and there are no plans for this to be re-routed. Our commitment to this important route through the estate includes the upgrading of the existing surface to improve access and safe passage to the beach.
“Carbis Bay Estate is committed to sustainability, and dedicated to protecting the environment now, and for generations to come”.