THE first hurdle in a bid to transform a hotel near Bude into residential apartments has been overcome after the granting of planning permission by Cornwall Council.

Mr Mikael Armstrong of Flexbury Downs Ltd submitted two planning applications seeking the change of use of Kerenza Hotel on Flexbury Avenue, Flexbury, Bude.

He is seeking to turn the hotel into a number of residential flats and had submitted two applications for this purpose, covering two different portions of the building.

The first application sought to change the original hotel building and restaurant into two residential apartments, while the second sought to convert a recently built accommodation extension block into eight residential apartments.

In documents submitted as part of the application, the planning agent for Flexbury Downs Ltd said: “This application seeks planning permission for the change of use and alterations to the existing hotel reception and restaurant area on land forming part of the now disused Kerenza Hotel on Flexbury Avenue in Bude. The proposal involves the formation of one new two bedroom flat and one four bedroom flat.

“The Kerenza Hotel has traded under various names and ownership over the last fifteen years. Most recently it has traded as the Kerenza Hotel, but it has now ceased trading. The most recent owner acquired the hotel just as the Covid staycation boom took hold and the hotel appeared to be a viable enterprise.

“However, since then the staycation boom has subsided and inflation has increased costs for all businesses. In addition, the well reported recent tax increases and increases in minimum and living wages has added yet further burdens to the hospitality industry in particular. This has led to the hotel no longer being able to cover its costs and has now ceased trading.”

Of the proposals for the main hotel building, it was added: “This proposal seeks permission to change the use of the disused hotel reception, restaurant and a small number of rooms into one two-bedroom flat and one four-bedroom flat. The end result will be two flats that will provide much needed additional housing without an unacceptable impact on the locality.”

Cornwall Council have granted planning permission for the conversion of the hotel and restaurant into two residential apartments, while the second application for the conversion of the adjacent hotel accommodation block is still awaiting a final decision.

In approving the application, the planning department concluded: “The application relates to the reuse of an existing building in a sustainable location.

“The proposals will provide two dwellings in a sustainable location and the presumption in favour of sustainable development. The loss of commercial holiday accommodation has been assessed and is no longer presented as viable and there is no evidence to question this and the loss of such a use in this location would not result in any significant harm that would outweigh the presumption in favour of development.

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“Matters such as flood risk, parking and residential amenity are satisfactory and considered to align with policy.”