CORNWALL Council’s planning department has refused an application for 144 new homes, a micro brewery and ‘pod’ hotel on the site of a former 200-year-old brewery.

The mixed development application was submitted by Hong Kong Cornwall Square Ltd in August 2017 and has this week been refused for a number of reasons.

If approved it would have seen 144 dwellings/apartments built alongside a micro brewery and hotel at Foundry Row, Redruth, home of the former Redruth Brewery, which operated from 1792 to 2004.

A decision notice states: “The proposal, by reason of its scale, bulk, massing, height and landscaping design, would result in harm to the to the character and appearance of the Plain-An-Gwarry Conservation Area and the Outstanding Universal Value of the Redruth Mining District World Heritage Site.

“The development would visually compete with the historic brewery structures, undermining the architectural coherence and industrial character of the site. The development would harm the townscape setting and would not protect or preserve the historical significance of the site and these designated heritage assets.

“Furthermore, the development would not protect the setting of Chymbla House, which would in turn diminish the historical significance of this building, and would not safeguard the low remains of the chimney, both of which are considered non-designated heritage assets.”

Planning officers also decided that the loss of a substantial number of trees, coupled with the absence of any substantial replacement, would further erode the distinctive character of the site.

They also ruled the development would result in “significant and unreasonable” overlooking of a neighbouring property.

The lack of a Section 106 planning agreement to provide affordable housing, open space, healthcare and education contributions was also cited as a reason to refuse.

In 2018, Redruth Town Council unanimously voted to recommend refusal, saying: “It is felt that this application represents unsustainable development.

There is no provision for affordable housing and there are concerns over both the impact on local schools and a lack of amenity space. In addition, the plans are not in keeping with the local area.”

To see the decision notice and plans, visit – https://planning.cornwall.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=OUD2P4FG1T200&activeTab=summary