By Richard Whitehouse LDR.

Plans to demolish an empty pub and replace it with up to 10 new homes have been rejected by councillors.

Outline planning permission was sought to replace the Boslowick Inn in Falmouth with the new housing. However, when the plans went before Cornwall Council's central sub-area planning committee yesterday morning the application was refused. Councillors said they were concerned about the loss of the pub and a historic asset.

Council planning officers had recommended that the plans be approved stating that attempts to sell the pub as a going concern had not attracted any offers. They also told the committee that they had given weight to the provision of new homes during the current housing crisis.

Falmouth Town Council had objected to the application and councillor John Spargo said that "the loss of the pub is unacceptable as it is the only pub in the area". He added that "it is a heritage asset that should be retained".

A planning agent, speaking on behalf of applicants OPO Development, said that it was a brownfield site in Falmouth and highlighted that Falmouth Town Council had previously said that it was a priority to use such sites for housing instead of greenfield sites.

He said that the applicants had looked at converting the pub building into housing but said that there was opposition to developments that would be used as student accommodation or as houses of multiple occupation (HMOs).

Local Cornwall councillor Alan Jewell, who removed himself from the chair of the planning committee when the application was considered, said that he agreed with the objections raised by the town council.

He said: "My main issue is the building. The building is a renowned building in the area and I believe the building is worth keeping."

Cllr Jewell said that if the building could be retained it could be converted into one-bedroom flats "not for students but for locals to live in."

He also said that he believed that the pub could be a viable business and said he remembered going there and it would be "absolutely rammed". He added: "I still think that it could be run as a pub. It used to be rammed back in the early '80s."

During the debate, there was a focus on the heritage status of the building which had originally been an 18th century manor house. There had been claims that mahogany panels in the building had come from a packet ship, but a specialist had said that this may not be the case.

The building was not listed and had been described as being a non-designated heritage asset. Conservation officers had said that the loss of the building might be against planning policy; planning officers said this had been considered but they considered the building's significance to be "relatively minor".

Committee member Michael Bunney proposed that the application should be refused due to the loss of a community and heritage asset. The proposal was seconded by John Fitter.

Cllr Bunney said that he would be more supportive of the plans if they were to convert the building into housing but said he could not support the demolition of it.

The committee agreed to refuse outline planning permission with seven votes in favour, one against and one abstention.