400-lodge luxury resort application considered in Cornwall

Kingsley Leisure Developments wants to build a 400-lodge luxury resort across 70 hectares of agricultural land near the hamlet of Mountjoy on the outskirts of Newquay.

The contentious Green Ridge Resort application will be considered at an extraordinary meeting of Cornwall’s strategic planning committee on Thursday (November 21) after being brought before councillors by local member John Fitter. He is concerned the application will create an “unacceptable level of harm to the landscape, ecology and historical setting of the area”.

Kingsley Leisure – whose managing director is Abe Simpson, of the renowned Cornish property developer family – says the aim is not to replicate existing holiday parks but to create a new style of holiday destination for Cornwall, in a woodland environment which “encompasses a holistic approach to sustainability”. If approved the resort would be the equal of a “moderate-sized Cornish village” according to one report.

The proposed development would feature:

• Up to 400, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5-bed luxury holiday accommodation units for both sale and rental
• Up to 16 staff accommodation units
• A mix of facilities including a reception area, a swimming pool, a spa and an indoor activity centre
• Food and beverage outlets
• Outdoor activities include a water park, splash park, playground, dog walking trail, walking trails and seasonal outdoor events areas
• A series of permanent lakes
• New highway access onto the A392 together with other associated highway-related improvements
• Extensive landscaping and biodiversity enhancement measures
• An on-site solar farm and associated battery storage facility generate enough energy for all the accommodation units.

There are currently 350 comments on the council’s online planning portal, the vast majority of which oppose the application. The latest person to object to the proposal is the Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay, Noah Law.

How parts of the Green Ridge Holiday could look (CAD Architects / Kingsley Leisure Developments Limited) He told us: “I have reflected the concerns of local residents to the council and called on councillors to uphold the integrity of the planning process.”

In his correspondence with Cornwall Council, Mr Law said: “Following correspondence with local constituents and analysis of the planning application and its associated documentation, as well as the current National Planning Policy Framework and Cornwall Local Plan DPD, I would like to register my objection to the development on the following technical points:

“Questions have been raised surrounding the integrity and transparency of the planning process through this application, notably through the ecology reporting process followed. Councillors should consider the discrepancies between the initial and final ecology reports, and note the impact of the development under Cornwall Local Plan Policy 23 and NPPF Policy 180b.”

He added: “The description of farmland as either Grades 3a, 3b or 4 is a largely moot point in the development plans. Nearly half of the land is graded as 3a or 3b, which is in line with its current usage to grow cereals, as can be seen from site visits.

The Green Ridge Resort, if approved, would be built in the upper part of this valley (Pic: submitted) "Under Cornwall’s Historic Landscapes Characterisation, Parcels 1-11 in the development plan are noted as ‘Farmland: Medieval’, and Parcels 12-15 as ‘Farmland: Post-Medieval’.

“This means that a significant majority of the land on-site has been used for farming since at least the 19th century. Alongside the evidence of prehistoric roundhouses on the site, councillors should note their objection under Cornwall Local Plan Policy 24 and NPPF Policies 195-196.”

Mr Law also highlighted that Visit Cornwall has objected to the development, stating that, following research, there is “no evidence to increase capacity in the sector in the Newquay area” and that there is “little justification for any substantial developments as they would … increase pressures on the local community and infrastructure in the peak holiday weeks”.

“Therefore, councillors should consider sustainable business development and how this could harm surrounding business,” said the MP, who was elected at the General Election in July.

“Considering Cornwall Local Plan policy, with the requirement to ‘mitigate the impact of traffic flows through Quintrell Downs’, even a ‘minimal’ impact on traffic as per the development documents would work against the need for sustainable transport upgrades in the area. Therefore, councillors should consider Cornwall Local Plan Policy 27 when considering sustainable transport options,” he added.

Residents opposing the scheme are expected to attend the strategic planning committee meeting at Lys Kernow / County Hall in Truro on Thursday.