Planning officer unable to support application to demolish Porthleven's Atlantic Inn and build apartments

The planning officer overseeing the plans for the redevelopment of The Atlantic Inn Porthleven has said he is "unable to offer support" for the current plans.

A pre-application enquiry was made in October by Murray Planning Associates, outlining plans to potentially demolish the pub and replace it with 6, 2 bedroom apartments.

The results of the pre-application enquiry came through this week with concerns over harm to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

In the officer's reports, he also stated that the proposed scheme is not considered to respond appropriately to the current townscape. For the reasons of its three-storey scale, monopitch roof form, and extensive glazing to the prominent front elevation.

The scale, appearance, height, and mass of the proposal are considered to be at odds with the characteristic of this part of the Conservation Area.

Principal Development Officer Peter Gregory commented:

"Whilst accepting this design may well be appropriate in alternate locations, it is not acceptable within its historic townscape context and is at odds with the established and characteristic built form of this part of the Porthleven Conservation Area.

"In terms of landscape, the site is located within the AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), however, it is acknowledged that this part of the AONB makes a limited contribution to its wider landscape and scenic beauty. Despite this, the proposal would bring visual harm to the character of the area and thus, would not conserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the AONB in this location."

The planning officer concluded that if the developer decided to submit a full application, they would have to look at retaining the existing building for future residential re-use.

Click here to see the plans for yourself.

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