Gwel an Mor holiday park in Cornwall bid for new lodges

The reaction was testament to the strength of feeling in the village about Gwel an Mor’s expansion plans, which many locals believe will soon see the park’s population grow larger than the entire parish.

The American-owned park sits above Portreath and offers a variety of five-star lodges for sale as well as rental for holiday accommodation. There has been growing unease in the village in recent years about the impact the site is having on the area’s infrastructure and what many are calling “piecemeal” planning applications to increase the size of the park.

Nina Schofield, one of many concerned residents, said: “The big concern goes back to village worries about the site just getting bigger and bigger, dwarfing the village. Any positives the site has brought so far are beginning to be outweighed with too many negatives.”

The site, which currently has around 150 lodges, withdrew plans last year for 25 lodges which were to be positioned next to ancient woodland after the application received 160 objections from the village. A proposal to rebuild and increase the size of the restaurant, gym and spa facilities is awaiting a decision.

Gwel an Mor – which is owned and run by Cove UK, a subsidiary of American-owned Cove Communities – has now lodged two new separate applications. One is to build ten lodges on the same site as the mooted 25 and another to replace ten one-bedroom lodges with nine larger three and four-bedroom lodges surround the site’s fishing lake.

How the proposed new lodges at Gwel an Mor could look

The proposals were discussed by Portreath Parish Council’s planning committee at St Mary’s Church Hall in the village on Monday, July 31 – the most crowded meeting anyone can remember in the council’s history.

Discussing the first plan to replace the fishing lodges, chairman Ian Stewart pointed out that although there would be one less lodge, the actual occupancy would increase from 20 to 60. He said much of the information in the application was “misleading and out of date” including distances from the site into Portreath, bus times and routes, and details about bike hire from a hub which closed three years ago.

He said: “We have had meetings in the parish with Cove UK managers who have said they want accommodation for between 1,700 and 1,900 people when they finish all the stages [of development]. The last time I looked there were 1,900 people in the parish – Gwel an Mor could become as big as our whole parish.”

Cllr Simon Goodwin said that Portreath already struggles with traffic, parking issues, a busy beach and difficulties finding room to dine in the pub, and more people at Gwel an Mor would put additional pressure on a “very small village”. Questions about possible flooding and sewage issues were also raised.

“We have had many meetings with Gwel an Mor and they have never listened to anything we have said,” added Cllr Mark Hitchen.

While discussing the second application for the ten further holiday lodges, it was pointed out that the land on which the holiday park wants to site them was previously earmarked as a wild meadow to sit alongside the 25 withdrawn lodges. “That demonstrates they won’t necessarily do what they say,” said Cllr Vicki Webb.

The chairman agreed: “They say a lot but don’t fulfil.” Concerns were raised about the impact on wildlife at the nearby woodland.

A plan showing where ten new lodges are proposed at 1, in relation to 2. Portreath town centre, 3. Portreath beach, 4. Nance Woods, 5. RAF Portreath, 6. Bassetts Cove and 7. Illogan

Cheers from the public greeted the committee’s decision to object to both applications on the grounds of extra strain on the village, inaccuracies in supporting documents and concerns about water run-off and the sewage supply.

During a public participation session, Ruth FitzJohn asked what Cove’s outline ten-year plan is to develop the site and business. “Cove are the party asking us to allow these piecemeal developments so we are entitled to withhold support until we can see what is going on.”

She added: “If Cove / Gwel an Mor are aking for permission to be bigger and to house more people than the rest of the parish, how are they intending to ensure they become a positive force in Portreath? Bigger than the rest of us put together brings responsibilities and must bring obligations. We need to see evidence that this is understood by Cove and confidence that any fine words will be backed up by legally binding commitments.”

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Prior to Monday night’s meeting a spokesperson for Gwel an Mor said: “We have brought forward careful and considered proposals that seek to balance Gwel an Mor’s long-term future as a leading hospitality destination with our place as part of the Portreath community and our desire to deliver for wildlife and the environment. The woodlands scheme has evolved following community feedback on a previous scheme to be a much more compact development and we want to hear how we have addressed concerns that were raised.

“The fishing lodges proposal amounts to a reduction in overall numbers within that part of the site and it will help Gwel an Mor become more attractive to families. Both schemes sit alongside our proposals for enhanced leisure and food offerings on site through the Karenza Spa scheme that received unanimous support from the community, which we are grateful for.

“As a business, we are always happy to engage in constructive dialogue with key stakeholders and hear feedback and we look forward to the opportunity to meet at the parish council meeting and provide greater detail to those in attendance.”

No one from Gwel an Mor provided any further detail at the meeting. The applications have been lodged with Cornwall Council’s planning department and are awaiting decisions.