AN appeal hearing is underway that will help determine whether a controversial clifftop luxury housing development can be built.

Around 100 people are attending a planning inspectorate hearing being staged at the Griffin Inn on Tuesday, November 11 after Living Quarter Properties (Porth) Limited appealed against Cornwall Council’s refusal to discharge condition two of its planning permission to build seven luxury villas on the site of the former Paradise Cove Hotel.

Inspector Nick Davies will hear from representatives from the developer and Cornwall Council and others, which will include coastal erosion experts, to decide whether the submitted scheme of cliff defence works would protect the development from cliff erosion for its lifetime.

Cornwall Council rejected the planning application concluding the developer had not managed to provide evidence that the development would be protected from cliff erosion for its 125-year lifespan.

Living Quarter Properties (Porth) Limited have appealed the decision arguing the reports had not been correctly interpreted.

Teign Consulting Surveying, which is representing Living Quarter Properties (Porth) Limited at the planning appeal, claims the construction of the holiday homes will help stabilise the cliff.

But Campaign group Save Whipsiderry Cliffs claims there has been a 500 per cent increase in rock falls since the developer started carrying out cliff stabilisation works, which is part of the planning permission before the properties can be constructed.

There have been three major cliff collapses following the cliff stabilisation work, which involved drilling into the rock and inserting steel rods and filling the caves with concrete.

The appeal hearing has already covered the areas of agreement between the two parties that there will be further erosion events in the absence of any stabilisation measures.

It will also cover the proposed works, points of disagreement including sufficiency of information, iterative approach and future management.

The overall balance of the scheme will also be discussed, and the Inspector will also conduct a site visit during daylight hours.

The Inspector will be giving a decision on the appeal at a later date.