THE mayor of St Ives has said that changes made to a shop front in a historic part of the town are causing a “real problem”.

He made the comments as a Cornwall Council planning committee considered if a shop in Market Place in the town centre should revert to its previous traditional design.

Applicant John Johnson had asked for retrospective planning permission to alter the shop front at St Eia House, which was turned into the offices of A1 Cars taxi service and Crafted coffee house without planning permission in 2021.

The council’s planning department recommended approval, stating that the loss of recesses and pillars which were replaced by a UPVC façade caused “less than substantial harm to the area” when considered against the public benefits. However, others disagreed, believing the changes impacted the character of the conservation area and nearby listed buildings such as St Ia church and the Market House.

Mayor of St Ives Cllr Jonny Wells, representing St Ives Town Council, said: “Having objected to this application in 2021, we’re very disappointed that it’s taken so long for it to come before you. We cannot see that this has been assessed against Neighbourhood Development Plan policy, which explicitly requires preservation of traditional shop fronts.

“UPVC is not appropriate in a conservation area and the traditional store riser has been completely removed. The officer’s report completely contradicts itself, acknowledging harm to the conservation area’s character while claiming no harm to the setting of the listed buildings. These two elements are inseparable.”

Cllr Wells added: “This is in St Ives’ primary shopping area – our Neighbourhood Plan has very clear policies that highlight the importance of preserving our town centre retail space. This application lacks any evidence that these changes are needed. The public benefits cannot be substantiated and the subdivision of the units is wholly unnecessary.”

He argued the taxi office is not classed as retail and is “not suited to the historic core of St Ives’ shopping area”. The mayor added that customers wait in front of a serving hatch in the adjoining café, blocking the pavement, meaning pedestrians  have to step into the road to walk around. “There’s a real problem,” he said.

Cllr Loveday Jenkin said that as the work had already been carried out and the shop front “damaged”, there was a conflict with the Neighbourhood Plan. She asked what the “public benefit” of flattening the shop front was. She was told it related to the continual use of the premises as two units.

She replied: “If this came before us before it had been done, I don’t think we would have approved it. It’s not even paying any sort of reflection to what was there before. Without the recess it causes more problems on the pavement. I can understand why the town council are so concerned about it and there’s a responsibility on us to reflect those views.”

Responding to the work to change the premises in early 2021 without planning permission, Cllr Mike Thomas asked: “Wouldn’t someone have commented on that at the time and asked for enforcement as it’s a protected area in a key, beautiful area of our Duchy? It’s 2024 now – I find it very hard to understand how we’re here three years on and there’s not been enforcement.”

The matter had been reported at the time, but he was told that once a planning application is in place, any enforcement is held in abeyance.

Cllr Sally Anne Weedon added: “This shop front is markedly different from those around it and is really modern.  It’s going to be a big job to take it all down, but I just think it’s in total breach of St Ives Neighbourhood Plan.”

Cllr Jenkin proposed refusal on the grounds that it would harm the character and appearance of the conservation area. Councillors voted unanimously to refuse.

The applicant will now have to revert the building to its former style or submit another planning application featuring a design more in keeping with the area.

A separate application for the building’s change of use to a café and taxi office was approved, despite concerns raised by the mayor of St Ives, which the committee was told were outside the planning remit.

Cllr Wells said: “Because this is retrospective, the council’s original fears of likely additional congestion in this area has been proven. Despite assurances it wouldn’t happen, Market Place now often resembles a taxi rank with an almost constant stream of taxis waiting.

“Highways say they have no objection, but it is Parking Enforcement who are struggling to manage this situation and we know their views have not been sought.” He said the situation was having a detrimental knock-on effect on St Ives’ one-way system.