CORNWALL Council have said they have ‘significant concerns’ relating to proposals for the conversion of Grade II listed buildings and the construction of a gin distillery on land within the confines of the historic Bodmin Jail.

Bodmin Jail Distillery Ltd sought pre-application advice from Cornwall Council on the potential chances of the proposals it submitted for the change of use of existing buildings, namely the 1850’s built Governor’s House and the Chaplaincy in addition to the construction of a distillery in the grounds of Bodmin Jail, which was renovated from dereliction into an attraction and luxury hotel.

A pre-application advice enquiry is a way where the applicant can test proposals with a planning authority prior to submitting a full planning proposal. The response will often include the possibility of it gaining officer support and what is required to achieve that.

In the pre-application advice enquiry, the applicant stated: “The proposal forms part of the ongoing regeneration of Bodmin Jail—one of Cornwall’s most significant heritage landmarks—building on the success of the Bodmin Jail Hotel and Bodmin Jail Experience.

“Collectively, these initiatives establish the site as a unified, heritage-led visitor destination. The current scheme represents the next phase in this evolution, extending the visitor offer through the creation of a craft distillery experience that combines small scale production, education, and tourism within a historically grounded setting.”

“The development aims to secure the long-term conservation and viable reuse of the Chaplaincy, Governor’s House, and listed boundary wall, introduce a purpose-built distillery that complements the character and hierarchy of the existing complex, deliver economic, cultural, and community benefits through job creation, visitor growth, and local supply chain support; and enhance the sustainability and accessibility of the Bodmin Jail estate through sensitive design, landscaping, and infrastructure improvements.

“Constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, the Chaplaincy and Governor’s House form part of the later expansion of the original prison and are significant for their Baronial architectural style, relationship to the wider complex, and social-historic importance within Cornwall’s penal reform movement. Alongside the enclosing stone wall, they contribute strongly to Bodmin’s townscape and historic identity.”

In the advice issued in response, it was stated: “Based on our site visit and assessment, the current proposals would result in harm to the listed buildings and their setting. This is principally from the loss of internal historic fabric and erosion of planform of the Governors House and Chaplaincy, particularly the removal of sections of the main dividing spine wall between the properties at lower ground and ground floor and fireplaces, and the extent of loss in the attic spaces.

“The subdivision and mixed use will require a suite of upgrades to meeting building regs including fire protection and compartmentation, acoustic upgrades and thermal upgrades. This can be quite impactful to historic buildings.

“The replacement of internal doors with fire doors and blocking up of original doorways would be harmful.

“The loss of visual legibility and integrity of the garden spaces and loss of original garden dividing wall, which currently form part of the setting of the listed buildings and their significance.

“The scale and design of the distillery building and side extensions, which would be readily viewed as expansive new additions from key viewpoints and would tend to obscure the architecture and presence of the Governors House and Chaplaincy.”

The historic planning officer listed a number of remedies that could assist in overcoming the concerns raised, including the retention of the existing planform and internal historic features within the building, respecting historic finishes, having a sensitivity in approach to upgrades following Historic England guidance documents.

Additionally, they called for any application to consider exploring the possibility of reduce the scale and footprint of the proposed distillery to better preserve the listing buildings’ setting, preserving key views to the heritage assets and to consider retaining the historic dividing garden wall and reducing the scale of the side extensions.

The officer added: “Any residual harm would be weighed again the public benefits in the assessment of the forthcoming application. We note that public access and the ability for greater appreciation of the heritage assets could be a public benefit. There are also opportunities for heritage gains such as the reinstatement of traditionally detailed windows, rainwater goods and railings where these have been lost, the removal of some late 20th century interventions e.g. polystyrene ceiling tiles, over boarding on doors etc.

“The suite of conservation focused repairs that will be required is also a conservation again. Historic building recording prior to adaption might be required and offers a form of mitigation but is not an equal substitute for preserving significance.”

Concluding, the planning officer added: “A new distillery attraction associated with the existing Bodmin Jail attraction in this location is considered supportable in principle. However, there are significant concerns with regard to the scale of the proposal and its impact on the surrounding heritage assets.

“Harm has been identified which in this instance is not considered justified and it is considered that the proposal be significantly reduced in scale. Additionally, there are concerns in terms of the re-ordering of the existing dwellings and the change in floor layout.”

The planning officer also encouraged the applicant to engage with the community, stating: “It will be of vital important that you engage robustly with the community, which will include the Town Council, nearest neighbours, and the Divisional Member(s) for the area. I understand that some public engagement has already taken place which is welcomed and encouraged.”