Communicating our concerns with the responsible authorities

Cornwall Wildlife Trust have taken action and raised concerns about the impact on local wildlife, including protected species, and tree felling as part of unauthorised development at Carbis Bay Hotel.

We initially reported our concerns to Cornwall Council on Sunday 14 March. As an environmental charity we have no legal powers for investigating and prosecuting wildlife crime and no statutory planning powers. We have, however, been communicating with Devon and Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council teams at several levels, who do have responsibility in these areas, to highlight the concerns for wildlife at the site.

Planning permission sought

A planning application was submitted by Carbis Bay Hotel on Monday 15 March to Cornwall Council (PA21/02527). Cornwall Council have since recognised that the works are unauthorised, that planning permission is required and urged the owners to stop works.

Yesterday we contacted the Carbis Bay Hotel (who were Business Members of Cornwall Wildlife Trust until 2017) and their architects directly to raise our concerns about the development at the site and their planning application. We have pointed out that, as stated in Cornwall Council planning guidance, all planning applications should be accompanied by suitable ecological surveys. The ecological information included in this planning application was extracted from a historic report produced over five years ago for a development on another part of the site by Cornwall Environmental Consultants, a company owned by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Cornwall Environmental Consultants clearly stated in the report that the information in the report can only be relied upon until January 2015. Neither Cornwall Environmental Consultants nor Cornwall Wildlife Trust have undertaken any work for or with Carbis Bay Hotel since 2015. 

Given that the site has already been cleared we have requested that the Carbis Bay Hotel and their Architects work together with the local community and professional ecologists to ensure there is action to achieve a net gain in biodiversity (at least a 10% increase in biodiversity on or near the development).

Next steps – action you can take

This evening at 6pm, a Facebook Live event is being hosted by Devon and Cornwall Police, Cornwall Council and the Cabinet Office to answer your G7 summit questions. You can join here.

Members of the public can make comments on the planning application here.