A CAMPAIGN has been launched to protect Newquay’s public sea views.

Save Our Sea Views is calling on Nici Hotels (Newquay) Ltd and Cornwall Council to reduce the height of its apartment blocks that are proposed as part of its Hotel Victoria redevelopment plans.

Residents claim the massing and height of the proposed residential developments at the Hotel Victoria and Griffin sites threaten to permanently block public sea views and damage the town’s coastal character.

They are particularly opposed to the proposed Block G on the former Berties nightclub site, arguing that the current designs prioritise large residential blocks over “sensitive, context-led regeneration.”

Campaign organisers stress that they are not opposed to development but are demanding better design that respects Newquay’s identity as a coastal town.

Town councillor Jessie Jacobs, who is one of the organisers of Save Our Sea Views, said: “Newquay’s connection to the sea belongs to everyone,” said Jessie Jacobs, one of the organisers of Save Our Sea Views. “From streets like Berry Road and Trenance Road, the sea is part of the public realm.

“These proposals risk turning open, coastal streets into enclosed corridors of concrete. Once those views are gone, they’re gone forever.”

The Nicholas James Group, which is behind the scheme, plans to demolish the Griffin Inn, Senor Dicks Mexican Restaurant, Berties Nightclub, O’Flanagans Bar and Berties Backpackers on the site and build 81 apartments with a commercial ground level unit.

The hotelier has stated the level of residential apartments is vital to cover the cost of the multi million-pound refurbishment it says is needed to bring back the Hotel Victoria to its former glory.

But Save Our Sea Views highlight concerns that the apartment blocks are the primary focus of the current proposals.

They allege the hotel itself is not due for redevelopment for a number of years. Residents fear this could result in oversized residential blocks dominating the skyline, while parts of the site remain empty or underused.

Cllr Jacobs said: “This risks the worst of all outcomes. “Permanent harm to public sea views now, with the promised benefits of hotel regeneration delayed for years. That is not balanced, responsible development.”

Save Our Sea Views also warns of the cumulative impact of multiple tall developments in close proximity, including proposals on the former Griffin site, which campaigners say could create a wall of development cutting visual connections between the town and the coast.

“Individually, schemes are often judged in isolation,” said Jacobs. “But taken together, these developments risk reshaping Newquay’s skyline in a way that fundamentally changes how the town feels and functions.”

Save Our Sea Views is urging residents, visitors and businesses to sign a public petition, submit planning objections focused on height, scale and public views and write to local councillors asking for full planning committee scrutiny.

Cllr Jacobs said: “This is not about stopping regeneration.

“It’s about shaping it properly. Newquay deserves development that enhances the town, not overwhelms it.”