Government 'not involved' in building works at Cornwall hotel set to hold the G7
Ministers have issued a response after a string of complaints from local residents in Carbis Bay
The Government has said that it is not involved in the controversial development of meeting rooms for the G7 summit.
Cornwall Council this week urged the Carbis Bay Hotel to halt works on the rooms which are being constructed without planning permission.
The hotel has this week submitted a full planning application for the development but has continued the works.
It comes after a number of protests and objections were raised against the development of the meeting rooms at the Carbis Bay venue which will host world leaders for the G7 summit in June.
Campaigners claimed that the development had displaced badgers – claims which have since been dismissed by the police
The hotel was ordered to stop the works by Cornwall Council after the authority launched an enforcement investigation and found that planning permission was needed
Objectors say that the works have led to the loss of “ancient trees” which has been denied by Carbis Bay Hotel
Following the controversy the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked the Cabinet Office to answer some questions about the development.
We asked: “Has the Cabinet Office or any Government department provided funding for the provision of nine meeting rooms which are currently being constructed at the Carbis Bay Hotel for the G7 summit in June? If so how much is this funding?
"Also what requirements were made for Carbis Bay Hotel to be the host venue for G7? Were the meeting rooms a requirement for the summit? When were those requirements provided to the Carbis Bay Hotel and when was it known that additional meeting rooms would have to be constructed"?
In response the Cabinet Office confirmed that the Government was not involved in the planning application and is not funding any permanent structures at the site.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson added: "The Government has been working with all the summit venues, Cornwall Council and local stakeholders extensively on preparations for the summit. We are committed to delivering a sustainable summit that showcases Cornwall’s world-leading conservation and green research and delivers a lasting legacy for the region".
The LDRS understands that Cornwall Council was “surprised” that the hotel had not explained what the buildings would be for before submitting its planning application this week.
In a design and access statement submitted with the application explains that the conference rooms were required for the G7 summit “to provide smaller meeting room spaces for bilateral talks”.
During G7 summits each nation attending requires their own meeting room to carry out discussions and briefings.
However, while the design and access statement is headed across seven of its nine pages as being for “Carbis Bay Conference Rooms” the last two pages are headed “Carbis Bay Forest Lodges” and appear to have been copied from a previous application in for lodges in 2018 which was refused planning permission.
The new application has already attracted more than 100 comments with all in objection to the proposals.
Some of those comments speculate that once the G7 summit is over there will be a move to change the use of the buildings for accommodation.
Jason Holtom commented: “This extension of the hotel will destroy an area of natural habitat above the coastal path which is a very important resource for residents and visitors. The native trees, flora and fauna cling to the coast all around the coast with increasing threats of erosion. Any loss of natural habitat along the coastal area should be avoided.
“The hotel owners have started the works with no consideration of the animals and birds at the beginning of their breeding season.
“They have also started the works before a planning application has been submitted which I feel is a dangerous precedent for all buildings works in the county”.
Elise Langley states: “They say the use of the new buildings are to ‘…enable the hotel to meet the accommodation requirements of the G7 summit’. This is not an acceptable reason to ignore planning rules and go ahead without any planning permission.
“Many people from this area were very excited about the summit coming to this beautiful area but now can’t believe that it has been tainted by these actions. I seriously can’t believe that the G7 organisers booked the space on the proviso that they built extra rooms on the edge of the cliffs”.
In a statement previously issued by the hotel it 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”.
Carbis Bay Hotel
And the design and access statement issued with the planning application states: “The hotel is currently engaged in a major expansion of its water front offering, including a recently completed multi-use venue building, which is part funded by the Coastal Communities Fund, and also recently completed eight no luxury beach front lodges.
“This investment combined with the hotel’s reputation and unrivalled location have atracted international renown to an extent that the hotel has been successful in hosting the upcoming G7 Conference”.
Design and Access Statement