Proposals to install number plate recognition cameras on poles at the Falmouth Hotel car park would leave it looking like some “futuristic prison camp”, it was claimed this week.
Parking Eye wants advertising consent to install car park management signage - 15 signs mounted on lighting columns, signage poles on the walls of the listed building at 1 Cliff Road.
The company proposes to install a car park management system on the existing car park owned by Richardson Hotels Limited which uses automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR), to monitor the entrance and exit of vehicles within the car park.
The site is currently used as a car park with 100 parking bays including disabled bays.
They say the proposal seeks to provide management of the existing car park to reduce car park abuse and ensure that spaces are available for genuine site users.
But the application was called in by Cllr Jude Robinson to a meeting of Falmouth’s planning and licensing committee last night.
She said: “It’s listed building and suddenly there’s this ultra-modern equipment everywhere. “Obviously they want to control parking but surely they can do it without making it look like some futuristic prison camp.” She added: “It’s a beautiful building.”
The planning officer in his comments also said the signs would be harmful and compromised and should require listed building consent which it hasn’t got.
The large hotel was constructed in 1865 and extended in 1890 by Silvanus Trevail and further altered in the mid-20th century.
Historic Environment Planning says the hotel is an exceptionally fine example of its building type in Cornwall. The palatial style recalling the contemporary "station hotels" at the great termini and the hotels of other resorts such as Scarborough.
“In a very bold way it marks the beginning of tourism in Falmouth and the exploitation of the town's excellent seaside location for leisure activities”. It says in its report. It says the site is also within Falmouth Conservation Area.
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It said: “The open sited poles and signs would have a harmful impact to both the setting and significance of the listed building and negatively impacts the conservation area”
Councillors recommend refusal of the application as it was unduly obtrusive on a Grade II, heritage building.
They said the camera poles and signs were ugly and out of character, excessive and insensitive. It was recommended that the setting (and so significance), of the Listed Building would be harmed and compromised. It was recommended that the application should also require listed building consent.
A final decision will be made by Cornwall Council.
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