NEW plans to redevelop the heart of Watergate Bay have been submitted.

The Watergate Bay Hotel proposes to redevelop the adjacent former Tregurrian Hotel site at Trevarrian Hill into a five and six storey building, which will include eight holiday apartments, a gym, studio and treatment rooms, restaurant, hotel staff wellbeing area and storerooms with decked car parking at the rear.

The scheme also includes the erection of a two storey building on the existing private car park (the XA) for 12 beach loft hotel suites; erection of a landmark pavilion for food and beverage outlets and a small convenience shop for the public on the existing private car park, a more pedestrian friendly centre to Watergate Bay, and a new elevated walkway from the XA site to the main Watergate Bay Hotel site.

Previous plans submitted in May 2023 were withdrawn to allow time for issues raised by Cornwall Council and consultees to be “robustly addressed.” Cornwall Council’s highway development management and Newquay Town Council’s planning committee stated the works to the B3276 Watergate Road/Trevarrian Hill junction required further detail.

The proposed new scheme involves the redevelopment of the Tregurrian Hotel site being lower “by a full storey” and aims to create a more pedestrian friendly area with traffic calming measures.

Chartered town planners Steve Abbott, on behalf of the applicant, said: “This is the resubmission of the proposals within the previous planning application. However, it involves a lower building by a full store on the Tregurrian Hotel site. In addition, a great deal of work has been undertaken on environmental matters involving coastal change and biodiversity.

“This application is for a carefully conceived innovative expansion of the hotel’s facilities utilising previously developed land within the Watergate Bay Hotel ownership.

“A comprehensive approach has been taken to avoid a piecemeal appearance and better integrate elements of Watergate Bay Hotel with one another and beyond.

“There are additional planning advantages including an opportunity to declutter the private car park and make it a more attractive public realm.

“We have worked closely with Fore Consulting, transports consultants and Adam Habermehl, Landscape Architects to develop a clear strategy to improve the central junction at Watergate Bay, to create a more pedestrian friendly area with traffic calming measures.

“We would like to propose a gateway transition feature which will be resurfaced with a different material to demarcate a pedestrian priority zone here with suitable signage. We have recommended three crossing points to assist pedestrians from moving across the sites along with the one further up Trevarrian Hill. The existing traffic regulation orders are to be retained to prevent people from pulling over stopping and waiting at any point.”