ANOTHER planning application, intending to change the use of a historic hotel to residential use, has been submitted to Cornwall Council.

The application to change the use of Eagle House Hotel in Launceston from C1, hotel, to C3, residential was received by the council on October 23.

The Post has previously reported that an application with the same intention for the hotel was withdrawn by the applicants in August.

Documents submitted to Cornwall Council state the application had been withdrawn because of a prospective purchaser for the hotel, who they said ‘was unable to follow up on the initial approach’.

That application had been due to come before Cornwall Council’s east sub area planning committee in August. A report for the committee had recommended approval of the application.

The hotel is listed online for sale with agents Stonesmith for £650,000.

A further planning application for the hotel, also for change of use to residential, was submitted in May last year, and was refused by Cornwall Council.

The hotel currently offers 12 bedrooms with 24 bed spaces.

The current application was discussed by Launceston Town Council’s planning committee at its meeting last Thursday.

Cllr Brian Keighley, referencing the prospective purchaser for the hotel, said: “The sale fell through and that’s the reason for the application.”

Cllr Jane Nancarrow said: “We need a hotel in the town area, not just be reliant on the White Hart.”

Referring to some of the information in the design and access statement, sent as part of the planning application to Cornwall Council, such as the potential for a Premier Inn to be built in Launceston, Cllr Rob Tremain said: “We think it [Premier Inn] would attract different clientele. It’s a totally different thing.”

A statement in the planning report for the application reads: “The report is clear that the hotel has not met any particular tourism demand, which is already well catered for elsewhere, and any future business tourism is likely to be met by the proposed new 66-bedroom hotel next to the Penygillam estate.”

At the planning meeting, town councillors suggested that a Premier Inn development for the town might not even go ahead.

The Post reported in May that a planning application for a 69-bed Premier Inn has been withdrawn. A spokesperson at the time said Premier Inn still remained ‘committed to investing in the site and intends to resubmit an application in due course’.

A spokesperson for Premier Inn had not responded before the Post went to press to a request for comment on whether it still intends to build a hotel in Launceston.

At last week’s meeting, Cllr Nancarrow added: “The views of most people towards Eagle House haven’t changed.”

Councillors voted to not support the recommendation, and Cllr Tremain added: “We are still formally against the change of use.”

Alexander Dunlavey, of Eagle House Hotel, told the Post: “Nothing has changed for us — it is all outlined in our planning application. The viability report still stands.”

The Grade II* listed property was built in about 1760 as a residential property and became a guest house in the early 1960s.