A DECISION on whether to allow housing to be built on a pub’s former car park has been deferred with a request for further information.

The planning application to construct five dwellings and one commercial unit on land south of the Bullers Arms Hotel, Marhamchurch, was discussed at the meeting of Cornwall Council’s east sub-area planning committee at Bodmin on Monday, April 25.

People from the village, some holding placards in opposition to the application, turned out to hear the discussion.

Cornwall Council has previously refused applications for seven dwellings on the former car park of the hotel.

Previously these applications have sought to demolish part of the hotel’s function suite. An appeal against Cornwall Council’s most recent refusal was dismissed last year by a Government planning inspector.

This latest application, if approved, would see the Bullers Arms Hotel remain as it is and the function room maintained — with the five dwellings and commercial unit built on the pub’s former car park.

John Milverton, planning consultant, spoke in opposition to the application, and told councillors: “I hope you will agree this development is harmful to the Bullers Arms and Marhamchurch.”

The meeting heard the former car park of the hotel and application site was not part of the property when it was sold to the current owners. Mr Milverton added: “My understanding is the current owner sought to buy it [car park] but couldn’t offer the amount of money the previous owner wished.”

The council heard around eight to ten staff are employed at the hotel.

Ray Hockin of Marhamchurch Parish Council also spoke in opposition to the planning application — he said there had been 156 letters in objection to the application, and one in support — but committee chairman Andrew Long said councillors should look at why people are in support or opposed to an application, rather than the numbers of letters of objection or support.

Walter Wonnacott, agent spoke on behalf of applicant Stephen Rudman: “We are now proposing a shop/office next to the Bullers Arms and proposing to retain the function suite.

“The objections centre on grounds already found to be acceptable by the planning inspector.”

He said the pub has not had its car park since 2014. The meeting heard that it is fenced off.

The ward member, Liberal Democrat Cllr Nicky Chopak, said: “I can’t impress on this committee strong enough what the loss of this car park has meant in terms of profitability.

“Village residents are now relied upon to provide income [for the pub].

“I ask this committee to refuse this revised application.”

The planning officer, John Rudge, who recommended approval of the application, in response to councillors’ questions, said a survey of the availability of car parking in the surrounding streets had not been carried out, and that the applicant did not need to apply for planning permission to block off the car park.

He added: “When I have been there [Marhamchurch] I’ve not seen a great deal of congestion.”

Cllr John Fitter said: “By refusing this application you are not necessarily giving the car park area back to the Bullers Arms, it’s still going to remain as it is in this moment in time.”

Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Bude, David Parsons, said: “There’s no question in my mind the lack of that car park has had a considerable impact on that pub.

“Marhamchurch is a relatively small village, Bullers Arms has always been a big centre in the area. There were lots and lots of functions that took place in the Bullers Arms and function room that simply aren’t taking place now because everyone knows if you are going to go out there you are going to have difficulty to park.

“If you grant permission for building on that site that car park is gone forever.

“The control [of the land] really depends upon the value of the land. The value of the land as a car park is entirely different to the value of the land as a building site.

“If we refuse this I think at some point you will come to the solution of the village, whether it’s the pub or the village community, getting control of that land again as a car park.

“If we give planning permission as a building site they will never afford it.”

Cllr Derek Holley said there was ‘effectively nothing’ in the report presented to the council ‘that shows us anything useful about viability’, adding: “I don’t see where you can go as a committee without viability figures.”

Cllr Long said: “We know what happened at Upper Chapel in Lanson. The inspector came along, approved it and fined us £150,000 for the process.”

He asked if any work had been carried out on the impact of permanent removal of the car park, and suggested this could be information the committee requests.

The application was deferred for further information regarding viability, by nine votes to five.