Appeal for Eden Project founder’s holiday home plans dismissed

Eden Project founder Sir Tim Smit has had an appeal dismissed over plans to build holiday homes and other facilities at a golf course site.

Cornwall Council refused a proposal from Mr Smit and his son Alex for 19 domed accommodation units known as drums, a clubhouse, car park, reception and classroom to be built at Gillyflower golf course in Lostwithiel in March 2024.

Planning inspector Andrew Dawe dismissed an appeal from the Smits after a site visit and hearing in September.

The proposals had received backlash with comments on the council’s planning site being taken down by the authority’s legal team because they were deemed to be so contentious, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Dawe raised concerns over how the plans would affect the character of the surrounding Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and nearby historic assets.

These include Restormel Castle, a Roman fort, Grade II listed Lanhydrock park and garden, a listed battlefield relating to the 1644 Battle of Lostwithiel, the Restormel medieval deer park and the Lostwithiel Conservation Area (CA).

The inspector also looked at whether the development would preserve the setting of the Grade I listed Church of St Bartholomew.

Mr Dawe also said the positioning of the clubhouse and the drum units “would add further significant intrusion of built form onto the site”.

“As such, it would represent an uncharacteristic and overly prominent form of development in that part of the AGLV, up the lower slopes of the valley side and apart from the settlement edge,” Mr Dawe said.

“I conclude on this issue that the proposed development would harm the character of the surrounding AGLV.”

He added the proposed development would cause “less than substantial” harm to the significance of sites including Restormel Castle and the CA.

Any heritage benefits deriving from the proposals would be “insufficient to justify that harm”, Mr Dawe said.

An original application which included holiday lodges received 300 objections and sparked protests.

The latest proposal had more than 500 comments split between those in favour or against the plans.

When the proposal was rejected by the planning committee last year, many councillors said they had never known so much communication from the public on a single planning application before.