A proposal to turn a Bude hotel into a 50-bed care home has met stern opposition from residents and Bude-Stratton Town Council (BSTC).

Bude Hotels Limited, owners of An Mor Hotel on the Headland, have registered a hybrid planning application seeking full permission for the partial demolition of the existing hotel and outline planning permission with all matters reserved for the development of a new ‘up to 50 bed care home with associated parking and open space’.

However, locals and the town council have both raised objections to the proposal with all but one of the 59 comments so far received on the Cornwall Council planning portal objecting to the proposal.

The proposal has also received an objection from the Catchment and Coastal Environment Lead, who said the proposal requires a coastal vulnerability assessment to demonstrate that the development would not cause harm to the coastline and would not require future coastal defence schemes to ensure its sustainability or to satisfy the 100- year requirement.

Historic England said that in its view, “the application does not contain sufficient information to allow Cornwall Council to appropriately assess its impact on the Conservation Area. We are also concerned that the scale of the development proposed is likely to design and massing of an unsympathetic nature being introduced to this prominent site.”

BSTC raised a strong objection to the proposal, saying they had “grave concerns” about the proposed development and citing a number of reasons.

The reasons stated included the scale and massing upon the site, contravening policy 12 of the Cornwall Local Plan, insufficient parking provision and circulation space for vehicles on-site, inadequate access along a private, unadopted road and road increase in traffic movements.

In addition, they raised further objections regarding the proposal’s minimal communal outdoor space, contravening Bude Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) policy seven regarding sheltered and retirement housing, potential light pollution and environmental damage to a partial greenfield site.

The council added in its objections: “Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence of adequate justification for the partial demolition of the existing site. This proposal is a huge waste of sensitive design potential and embodied carbon. BSTC (Bude-Stratton Town Council) also contest the ‘brown field site’ designation present in the proposal.

“This application sits within a coastal vulnerability zone and the proposal lacks an adequate coastal vulnerability assessment. As such, this proposal can only be viewed as an unsustainable site for development.

“BSTC object strongly to both part of this hybrid application, this proposal contravenes our own Neighbourhood Plan (Policy 23: Conservation Areas and listed buildings). This proposal is of poor architectural quality and would inevitably bring harm not enhancement to such a central and historically sensitive location within our town. We believe the building and site to be of historic and cultural value to our community.”

The proposals can be viewed on the Cornwall Council planning website under application PA22/09629.

Bude Hotels Limited have been approached for comment.