Assurances have been sought to ensure the cliff at Whipsiderry is safe following three major landslips.

Newquay MP Steve Double has asked Cornwall Council whether it is satisfied that the site, both on top of the cliff and below the cliff is stable from a health and safety standpoint.

The unitary authority has stated it is regularly assessing the stability of the cliffs and that its “expectation” is the council owned steps will remain closed for the foreseeable future whilst the “unstable debris pile at the base of the cliff remains in situ.”

Cornwall Council’s service director Carol Maclellan said: “Natural processes will eventually erode and remove this material allowing for a more detailed stability assessment to be undertaken however, at present there is a high potential for further cliff falls."

The safety call follows Save Whipsiderry Cliff group stating it is an “absolute miracle” no one has been killed following the numerous landslips that have occurred since cliff stabilisation works have been carried out by a developer ahead of its plans to build seven luxury villas on the site of the former Paradise Cove Hotel.

The campaign group estimates around 2,000 tonnes of rock fell onto the beach on Saturday, April 13, which is two weeks after the developer submitted an application to Cornwall Council to redischarge condition two of their planning permission with a geotechnical report that stated: “The (previous) landslip has provided benefits to the cliffs stability.”

Whipsiderry following the third cliff collapse ( )

Mr Double is urging the council to look at how the landslips have altered the site before making a decision on the plans.

In the letter to Cornwall Council Mr Double said: “I understand that the extent planning permission on this site is reliant on measures being taken regarding the caves below the cliffs. 

“How does this latest development impact on that?

“And if the site that has planning permission above the cliffs has significant changed due to the landslides, how will this affect the current planning permission, and what steps will Cornwall Council be taking to investigate this?

“You previously said ‘In relation to the planning issue, no work is currently happening on site. If development does indeed commence at any point, we would consider the position.’ 

“An application has now come forward, and it would appear the site has materially changed significantly since planning permission was granted in 2007. 

“When it comes to considering the application before you to discharge conditions to allow continued construction work on this site, which appears to be fly in the face of both the data and the demonstrated reality of the situation.

“I trust Cornwall Council will carefully consider this, and how further cliff falls could impact upon not just this site, but neighbouring sites too.”