Plan to demolish 18th century Cornwall manor house for homes

Pre-application advice is being sought to demolish a dilapidated 18th century manor house building and replace it with five new homes.

Polvellan Manor at The Millpool, West Looe - which overlooks the town’s Millpool car park - was originally developed in the 1780s at the confluence of the East and West Looe Rivers, and is constructed on a level terrace cut into the rising ground.

Originally a family residence, the property has had several uses since the early 1900s including a maternity hospital in the Second World War, a hotel and a school.

The most recent use was as a care home which is understood to have ended in 1995, since then the building has been unoccupied and lies in an abandoned, derelict state.

There was a previous attempt to redevelop the site in 2021, which included conversion of the building to six apartments and the building of 19 new build apartments within the extended grounds. The application was withdrawn.

Polvellan Manor overlooks the Millpool car park in Looe (JLA Consulting Engineers)

Pre-application advice was recently sought for the substantial demolition (retained front and side façade only) and rebuilding of the existing manor house to form apartments and the erection approximately 17 houses within the extended grounds of the property.

The advice provided in October 2023 confirmed that there was local policy support for sensitive re-development of the site, but concluded that proposed dwellings within the extended grounds would not be supported due to impact on trees and the wooded character of the site.

For more information see the full planning application on Cornwall Council's planning portal, via its website, under reference PA24/01046/PREAPP.

All planning applications submitted to the council have to be validated and are available for inspection by the public. Anyone is also allowed to submit comments about the applications – whether in support or objection.