A well known roadside pub could be converted into houses with further building of more properties in the car park.

The proposed scheme is based around the Smugglers Inn pub at Calais Road, St Erth Praze, near Hayle.

Lake Inns and Leisure, based at Piece, Carnkie, has applied for pre-application advice from Cornwall Council.

It has asked for the planning department’s views on converting the pub into five dwellings, with additional development of existing land and car park.

The pre-application advice form asks about: “Conversion of existing Smugglers Public House to five dwellings with associated works and the development of existing land and car park to give four flats [and] two/three and four bedroom housing scheme.”

A proposed site plan for where the housing would go (Image: Lake Inns and Leisure/Cornwall Council) The pub closed almost exactly a year ago to the day. In a statement on its social media page, the Smugglers Inn said in September last year: “It is with great sadness that we announce our closing day which will be Friday, September 29 [2023].

“Our reason for closing is simply because our landlord has sold the building and it will no longer be a pub in the future.

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“So we would like to thank everyone who has supported us during the last few years, especially through the ‘Covid times’ and the ‘financial crisis’.

“We hope that you’ve enjoyed your visits to us and have good memories of the pub.

“We also need to thank all our staff present and old for being a great team and going the extra mile to make our customers happy.”

The Smugglers Inn closed almost a year ago to the day (Image: Google Street View) More details on the proposals can be found on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, via its website, under reference PA24/01094/PREAPP

Pre-application advice can be given to a developer from the council’s planning department, about how a proposal could be viewed under planning laws and any potential issues that may arise.

The advice is not binding and, depending on what is said, it is then up to a developer to decide whether to submit a formal planning application.