Today marks the final day of trading for a Falmouth pub that is at the centre of a bid to develop the site into ten houses.

The Boslowick Inn will cease trading today and an outline planning application has been submitted for ten 'high-quality' houses by OPO Development (Cornwall) Ltd.

The application states that the operation of the building as a public house is no longer viable after a continuous decline in business over the years, even before the global Covid-19 pandemic.

According to planning consultants Influence Planning (Cornwall) Ltd: "The application is supported by recent accounts that confirm that the operation of the public house is not sustainable or a viable business, with continuous decline in recent years even before the current global pandemic and the disastrous implications of Covid-19 on the hospitality sector."

It also references the fact that the Boslowick Inn, as it has been operating up until today, is coming to the end of its lease and, despite marketing efforts over the years, has failed to drum up an appetite to continue in its current form.

The document goes on to add: "The existing public house is coming to the end of its current tenancy, at which point it will close down and despite marketing in recent years there has been no appetite to take on the site as an ongoing concern as a public house.

"The public house is no longer a viable business and with ample alternative drinking establishments within Falmouth town centre the loss of an unviable public house should not be an overriding factor in the determination of this outline application."

Due to being an application for ten houses, the developers point out in the application that the development would fall below the threshold for affordable housing provision.

The application also states that the developers, if approved, would need to re-roost the common pipistrelle bats that are currently roosting in the roof of the Boslowick Inn.

As an outline planning application details of the design, apart from the access, would be part of a further planning application if this one is passed.

Pre-application advice was previously sought in 2019 for a development of two blocks of 12 flats that would, according to the details at the time, be built to be in keeping with the surrounding area.

It stated at the time: “This large pub and site is no longer viable due to maintenance and running costs and dwindling trade. Refurbishment as a public would be unfeasible and it is considered that reuse of the pub for residential or other purposes is also unfeasible due to its size, layout and condition, and unsuitability for conversion.”

In response to the pre-app developers were told that they would need to "demonstrate there is no market demand through active and continued marketing for at least a period of nine months."

  • This article was edited on October 22, 2021 to change the word 'flats' to 'houses' in the most recent planning application.