Hotel Meudon, Mawnan Smith decision made on development

Hotel Meudon's plans to radically change the site with the addition of  ten luxury hotel accommodation individual plots, an outdoor swimming pool and restaurant were unanimously refused by a Cornwall Council planning committee.

The proposals by Kingfisher Resorts Group, which owns the Hotel Meudon near the Maenporth area of Falmouth, have been deeply unpopular with local residents and Mawnan Smith Parish Council, with almost 200 people commenting against the plans online. Protesters attended the west sub-area planning meeting yesterday (Monday, November 13).

The hotel owners say that without the changes – incorporating ten luxury hotel accommodation units, a 20m infinity pool, a gym and fitness suite, a bar and all-day casual dining venue and a spa – they cannot guarantee the future of the hotel and its subtropical valley gardens, which are in an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

A similar scheme was refused in September 2022 due to the adverse impact on the AONB as well as a number of technical issues. The new application attempted to address the reasons for refusal by reducing the scale and mass of the development, which would be situated near the South West Coast Path.

A Cornwall Council planning officer recommended approval but councillors were having none of it after hearing from opponents of the scheme at the meeting in Camborne.

Charlotte Bradley, representing a large community which strongly opposed the development, told committee members: “The Meudon Valley is a very special place, protected to the same degree as a national park. It’s home to dozens of rare and protected species, including bats, skylarks, hen harriers, buzzards and owls.

“The bird surveys provided by the applicant were flawed – there wasn’t even an owl survey. The threat to the bat population was grounds enough for refusing the first application. This time around the council’s own ecology officer confessed they are a non bat expert. It is simply not acceptable to rely on non-expert testimony for many legally protected species.

“This proposal has a bigger overall footprint than previous applications. There’s a loss of habitat, canopy cover and hunting grounds. Every clearing made for a new dwelling makes a huge hole in the currently unbroken canopy.”

She added: “The hotel say they’ve engaged with the community but there has been minimal compromise. There are only 33 AONBs in England – why do you have to ruin this one?

“Habitats should always come before hot tubs and holiday homes. None of us want to see a local business such as the Meudon hotel fail but there are many other ways of making this hotel profitable without destroying this AONB.”

Anthony Hornidge, who was also speaking on behalf of residents, said: “How can this be approved when the planning officer admits there are breaches of multiple planning policies? The case officer fails to recognise cumulative damage which was so clearly identified in the previous refusal.

“These fully equipped houses will be sold to private investors for profit. The applicant uses the hotel business to give these proposals a fig leaf of plausibility in planning terms. The only benefit here is for investors. This is property development for profit extraction.”

Nigel Gilmore, of Mawnan Smith Parish Council, added that the hotel sits within a “highly sensitive location”, stating the “comprehensive rejection of the last application equally applies to this application”.

He said a number of issues still apply – the site not being in a sustainable location, the impact of ten sizeable dwellings into the wooded valley which are not considered to preserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the AONB, and the possibility of full unrestricted residential use.

“So today the only significant thing that’s changed is the recommendation from the planning officer. How can that be explained while the site is still the same? The parish council and over 150 members of the local community have objected to this application. The parish council and AONB Unit have again highlighted particularly harmful impacts of the units overlooking the cove,” added Cllr Gilmore.

How the outside pool and restaurant would have looked at Hotel Meudon near Falmouth (Image: Supplied)

Ben Read, representing Kingfisher, had a hard task on his hands trying to persuade councillors to approve the proposals following the previous speakers. He said the hotel is not currently financially sustainable and a survey showed £500,000 was needed to stop the decline of the grounds with an additional £150,000 investment year on year on top of the hotel’s current landscaping budget.

“With only 29 existing rooms and no other facilities other than the grounds, it’s simply not sustainable. The proposal will address the current imbalance,” he said, adding the new facilities would be used by local schoolchildren and the changes would lead to more employment at the hotel alongside a renewable energy strategy.

Mr Read told councillors: “It is a high quality proposal which offers a range of benefits. Conversely, the ‘do nothing’ scenario is a big backwards step.”

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Local member Cllr John Bastin said he supported the parish council and local residents’ comments. “To use the phrase ‘slight adverse impact on the AONB’ is clearly a massive understatement on the impact of moving trees and the construction of ten multiple bedroom units.”

The application was unanimously refused by the committee. Afterwards, Nigel Chapman, chairman of Kingfisher Resorts Group, said: “We are naturally disappointed with today’s decision on our proposed planning application to improve the hotel’s offering and facilities and to invest in the deteriorating wooded valley garden.

“We did everything we were asked to amend in our plans from the first refusal and worked closely with officers to revise areas of original concern. We are committed to Hotel Meudon for the long term. We will now review our options and carefully consider next steps.”