A luxury hotel that hosted the G7 summit has finally started to dismantle controversial ‘forest lodges’ that were erected without planning permission.
Carbis Bay Hotel built the row of rooms it said were required for the gathering of world leaders in June last year without getting the green light from Cornwall Council.Furious campaigners then objected after discovering trees and wildlife habitats were ripped down and destroyed to make way for the buildings in spring 2021.Furious campaigners then objected after discovering trees and wildlife habitats were ripped down and destroyed to make way for the buildings in spring 2021.
Cornwall Council had ordered the structures be dismantled, but the hotel had managed to stave off this request with appeals, which were all thrown out.
The notice requires the hotel to demolish the three buildings and reinstate the land to its former level, gradient and condition before the development was undertaken.
Today, workmen were on site as they continued tearing down the luxury chalets.
Many locals appeared to rejoice at news that the illegal lodges are finally being demolished.
Kirsty Whitwam posted on Facebook: ‘Good… they shouldn’t have gone ahead and built the damn things. Stick to the rules everyone else has to – get planning permission before tearing down habitat for our wildlife and building for G7. Makes me puke.’
Janet Crocker wrote: ‘This is down to people thinking they can do what they like, because they think they are above everyone else. No one has the right to change the landscape.’
Faith Davis said: ‘Love this, although the damage to the natural environment will take a long time to undo. I’m just glad they and their ilk have been made accountable. I sense the tide may be turning.’
Howard Farmer added: ‘I’m very glad, this shows that the planning authorities do have some teeth!’
Steve Wallis-Tayler said: ‘These buildings may now be being dismantled but the environmental damage will take years to repair, that’s if it ever does.
‘The owners should be ashamed but I suspect they have no shame.’
The dismantling of the lodges marks the end of a local planning saga that had dragged on for the last four years.
Alarm bells were first raised when a row of chalets, which the hotel had claimed were built as ‘meeting rooms’ for G7 in June 2021, appeared and struck a resounding resemblance to plans for forest lodges which had been rejected years ago.
The hotel had started work on the meeting rooms early in 2021 and only submitted a retrospective planning application after concern was raised by Cornwall Council.
However, the proprietors later withdrew the application prompting the enforcement notice to be issued.
Planning officers at Cornwall Council saw the harm to the area as overriding any potential boost to the local economy.
St Ives Town Council submitted a ‘strongest’ objection on the grounds it would harm the use of the footpath and beach.
Meanwhile, the National Trust said the builds would ‘diminish the important contribution made by the site to the undeveloped hillside.’
Local fury began to boil over again last year after it was announced the Carbis Bay Hotel would host world leaders during the global G7 summit in June 2021.
Furious locals claimed the hotel was ripping down trees and destroying badger setts in a bid to erect the controversial ‘forest huts’. The hotel has always claimed no badgers were harmed.