Meeting on redesign of Coinagehall Street, Penzance seafront

Cornwall Council’s in-house building company Treveth has applied to completely redesign the Coinagehall Street area on Penzance seafront.

The plan to demolish PZ Gallery and other buildings to create a development of 36 homes and seven businesses, including takeaways and drinking establishments, alongside the redevelopment of St Anthony Gardens, has caused controversy and protest in the town.

Amended plans, which have reduced the scale and massing of the site on Coinagehall Street, came before the council’s west sub-area planning committee on Monday, April 29.

A planning officer noted that the loss of existing buildings would result in harm to the conservation area and Block D – a four-storey building with apartments above ground-floor shops – would have an adverse impact on the setting of St Mary’s Church and, to a lesser degree, nearby Jubilee Pool.

However, it was considered that the harm is “less than substantial and is considered to be more than outweighed by the public benefits – provision of housing, including affordable, and improvements to the public realm”. The committee was asked to approve the plans, which have received objection from Penzance Town Council.

An aerial photograph showing the Coinagehall Street area proposed to be redeveloped in Penzance (Pic: Google Earth / Cornwall Council)

Local councillor Jim McKenna, who opposes the scheme, which he claims is “not well designed”, shared the concerns of “many people outlined on the planning portal” around the design, particularly Block D. He also had concerns about the loss of parking spaces, which he said will affect less affluent residents of the area.

“There’s a crying need for affordable social housing in Penzance, probably more than any other town in Cornwall. This development offers 11 – the rest is commercial. That’s less than one per cent of the need.”

Dominic O’Neill, development director with Treveth, had earlier told the meeting that the scheme provides vital homes for local people. “There is a recognised housing need of 1,254 households seeking affordable accommodation in Penzance alone, which is only part of the picture as many more are undoubtedly seeking accommodation on the open market. This provides 30 per cent affordable homes, which equates to 11 homes in a town centre location.

“While the scheme must deliver 70 per cent open market housing in order to support viability, the majority of these will be rental properties all restricted to local people.”

He added: “This sensitive and important site has sat undeveloped for over a decade with multiple parties from across the country repeatedly trying and failing to produce final schemes.” Mr O’Neill said Treveth’s scheme was “realistic and deliverable”.

How the amended Coinagehall plans in Penzance look (Pic: Mei Loci Landscape Architects)

Dick Cliffe, former Mayor of Penzance, told the committee he was a member of Penzance Town Deal Board, “which has sunk £3.6m into this key site, which is identified as such in our Neighbourhood Plan. Coinagehall has been a major eyesore for two decades. It’s emblematic of the decline of Penzance.”

He said this fourth attempt to redevelop the site had two unique benefits – a focus on quality rental accommodation for local people and much-needed public realm improvements, including ridding St Anthony Gardens of elements which attract anti-social behaviour and increasing its ecology by 170 per cent.

Gerry Penrose, chair of Penzance Civic Society, representing residents of Penzance who oppose the plans, said: “This is an overdevelopment that causes avoidable and unnecessary harm to a very important and historic area of Penzance. The harm is generated by an oversized Block D, more than the demolition of the PZ Gallery.”

How the amended Coinagehall plans in Penzance look (Pic: Mei Loci Landscape Architects)

Resident Kate Graham added: “This is actually what Penzance will get if the development goes ahead – an over-developed out-of-scale block of flats, entirely private, with six other private rentals in another block, a pedestrianised street, an altered car park layout, five parking spaces gained but 19 lost, and seven business units including takeaways and drinking establishments on the ground floor under the swanky private flats. We’re getting only the bare minimum of social housing.”

Members of the committee raised concerns about the height of Block D, the view of St Mary’s Church being blocked from the seafront and the need to create new pathways in St Anthony Gardens when an existing one could be used.

Chairman Cllr Lionel Pascoe felt Block D was overbearing and said he would have to refuse, as did Cllr Mike Thomas but on the grounds of loss of parking.

As the vote was heading for refusal, officers suggested deferral for a month to see if changes to the design could be agreed. A site inspection will now take place by officers and committee members. Under a new council ruling, members of the public can’t attend.

The application should return to committee for a decision in a month.