The Falmouth wharves are the latest site at risk of the "waterfront redevelopment" disease that's currently afflicting Cornish towns.

This is the usual mix of swanky flats, hotel, coffee shop, studios etc.

My objection, apart from the obvious loss of an industrial deep water quay, is the loss of the artistic input that these places bring to Cornwall.

For example I used the wharves last year as a base for an Oscar shortlisted film starring John Hurt.

This involved renting seven large workboats from seawide services and several other firms and filming a Viking burial style scene involving burning and drowning John Hurt in a small fishing boat off St Mawes.

This obviously involved considerable on site disruption (ie 80 crew, camera gear, burnt out boats being loaded/unloaded, day and night mass movements and associated noise). There is no possible way this would be allowed if this development went ahead and as there's no other fully tidal deep-water quay in Falmouth, (docks wouldn't work) or Cornwall, then any further film would not be made in Falmouth thus probably not in Cornwall.

Furthermore, the wharves also house numerous studios which people share, thus making weekly rents of about £10.

These cheap, no frills sites are the essential artists' "spawning grounds" for nearly all of the subsequent successful arts organisations and artists in Cornwall.

This is the last affordable artist community left in Fal and Penryn.

If this is lost the long term detriment to the ongoing creative output of Cornwall will be severely affected.

This effect obviously is immeasurable so a difficult argument to prove, but ask any successful artist in Cornwall and the story will be the same of a damp cheap shed/ barn/ warehouse beginning.

Although this plan offers workshops, even a small rent rise stops this and the artist studios are inevitably filled by graphic design firms, clothes shops and jewellers. These are all valid, successful businesses, but will remove the essential "spawning ground" as even if the units are split four ways, they will still cost £25 to £35 per week, which is totally prohibitive to people transitioning a hobby/passion into a business.

When I moved to Cornwall 16 years ago, there were four of these large artist "spawning grounds". These were: Anchor Warehouse, The Coal Yard, Swanpool Cottage, Falmouth Wharves.

This is now the only one left, hence making its possible loss far more important.

Please do not think that the replacement units will in any way mitigate this loss.

To object to this development, please email phil.mason@cornwall.gov.uk or call the council planning department on 0300 1234151