The latest plans to build apartments near the Captains House site, on Tremor have been refused by the Town Council's Planning Committee.

In the existing consent the historic Captains House, Stracey Road was to be demolished and replaced with 14 residential apartments spanning the site of Captains House and the site of Tremor, a detached residential dwelling since demolished.

The revised proposal looks to retain the arts and crafts inspired Captains House, for continued use of 8 refurbished hotel rooms and 9 apartments on the site of Tremor.

The plans to develop Tremor have since been refused following councillors and residents concerns over parking.

Speaking to a planning committee yesterday evening, St Michaels Resort Owner Nigel Carpenter said:

"This will retain the Captains House building for the conservation area, creates local jobs by putting the house back into tourism. The new Tremor Apartments maintain the building lines."

In the heritage impact, the decision to reduce the apartments from 14 to 9 was said to be an improvement as it will minimise the impact on the conservation scheme.

Mr Carpenter added:

"I would advise you to support the scheme as it creates more jobs and economic development, it saves the Captains House, the new scheme is no taller than the nearby Abbeyfield and it puts a derelict site back into use."

The committee stated they didn't have a problem with the development but the site did seem to have a "parking issue."

Mr Carpenter said they have created between four/five parking spaces that were part of St Michaels Resort, and parking spaces on Stracey Road taking the total to 7 spaces.

Councillor John Spargo said it was "woefully" short of what was needed.

Mr Spargo said:

"Reading the letters of objections the issue does seem to be about parking in that area and I do think this is a pretty pitiful attempt to provide parking and taking car parking spaces from someone else and giving them to your building seems to be ridiculous, I feel they just haven't done as much as they need to with parking."

Other comments included the look of the building as it didn't seem to fit in with the current area.

Councillor Eva commented:

"I support the Neighbourhood Plan all the way through always have done and because it has gone against Neighbourhood Plan I can't support the application so it is purely on the grounds of Neighbourhood Plan, I haven't got too much of an issue with the parking because you could park in different places."

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