Carbis Bay Hotel lodges appeal against Cornwall Council enforcement notice

A hotel in Cornwall is appealing against an enforcement notice calling on them to remove buildings constructed without planning permission.

Carbis Bay Hotel, near St Ives, hosted the G7 global summit for world leaders in the summer and built several meeting rooms, which it said were needed for the event.

But the work was started without planning permission, and the hotel only submitted an application after campaigners called for all work to stop.

Campaigners called on Cornwall Council to take enforcement action to stop the works but after the planning application was submitted, the council said it would be better for it to go through the proper process.

But last month, the hotel withdrew its planning application, leading to Cornwall Council announcing they would be issuing an enforcement notice.

This meant the hotel would need to remove the buildings and return the site to its original state within six months.

But the hotel was able to lodge an appeal against the notice before it was due to come into effect on Monday 18 October.

When asked what it would be doing about the enforcement action, The Carbis Bay Hotel said in a statement: “We have no comment to make at this time.”

'Will now be considered by the Planning Inspectorate'

But Cornwall Council has since confirmed the hotel has decided to appeal the notice. The appeal will be considered by the planning inspectorate.

In a statement the council said: “The enforcement notice in relation to unauthorised works at the Carbis Bay Hotel was due to come into effect on October 18, 2021. 

"This notice requires the unauthorised developments to be removed and for the land to be reinstated to its former levels, gradients and condition within six calendar months of this date.

“However, the applicant has lodged an appeal against the enforcement notice, and the matter will now be formally considered by the Planning Inspectorate appointed by the Secretary of State.”

Whilst the hotel had claimed the meeting rooms were required for the G7 summit, the Cabinet Office said at the time that they had not needed any additional facilities.

The hotel had previously been refused planning permission to build several new lodges on the site where the meeting rooms now stand.

The planning application initially submitted after building work began contained elements that were identical to the earlier plans for lodges, which had been refused.

Credit: Richard Whitehouse, Local Democracy Reporting Service