Developers seeking to construct a luxury holiday home scheme on a crumbling cliff in Newquay have entered the appeal process, asserting that local campaigners and the Cornwall Council have misinterpreted their planning application. Living Quarter Properties (Porth) aims to build seven villas on the site of the now-demolished Paradise Cove Hotel, with the initial planning application approved in 2007.

The project centres on a string of planning conditions, particularly condition two, which mandates that the developers must stabilise the cliff before progressing with construction. However, Cornwall Council has denied attempts to alleviate this condition on two separate occasions, particularly following concerns over increased rock falls attributed to ongoing stabilisation efforts.

Construction activities commenced in 2023, involving the use of cranes to bring in diggers aimed at backfilling cliff caves and drilling concrete into the cliff face. The undertakings were met with significant opposition from the community, including protests over the work, which saw the Duchy of Cornwall temporarily suspending a licence for part of the beach they own.

Despite initial claims of completing “stabilisation works,” all activities were halted due to the Cornwall Council’s refusal to amend the planning conditions, which had been in place since the original approval in 2007. Campaigners believe that the stabilisation attempts themselves have led to increased rock falls, most notably marked by a recent incident in which approximately 2,000 tonnes of rock collapsed onto the beach below.

In a letter dated December 18, but officially submitted to Cornwall Council in February 2024, AGS Ground Solutions Ltd, represented by principal geo-environmental engineer Paul Foster, appealed the refusal of the re-discharge decision regarding the planning condition. Foster argues that the council’s interpretation of their findings was flawed, suggesting that if their reports were misunderstood, the determination relied upon unreliable information.

Foster further asserted, “There are a number of cliff faces which are larger and/or more complex, which have been successfully stabilised in Cornwall, across the UK and further afield and there is no reason why this cliff face cannot also be stabilised.”

Responding to the developer’s appeal, the Save Whipsiderry Cliffs campaign group has labelled the appeal as unfounded, stating that no new evidence has been introduced to address Cornwall Council’s points. In a Facebook post, the campaigners stated, “Condition two is the requirement for the developer to provide a detailed schedule of cliff defence works that are sufficient to protect the seven holiday villas for their lifespan of 125 years. This was rejected for a second time because they didn’t provide a detailed schedule of cliff works and maintenance provision.” They asserted that the developers’ appeal rests solely on the claim of a misunderstood interpretation of data by the council, with no substantive evidence provided.

The Save Whipsiderry Cliffs campaign group has offered their response to the appeal, indicating a robust opposition to the proposed construction and its associated risks. As events develop, stakeholders on both sides of the project remain poised for the next steps in the planning process.

Source: Noah Wire Services