Controversial planning applications which would have seen a total of 270 student beds created on two sites in Falmouth, have been rejected by Cornwall Council under delegated powers.

The decision to refuse the schemes for the site of the former Rosslyn Hotel in Kimberley Park Road, and the fire ravaged Four Winds pub in Grenville Road, have been welcomed by local councillors and residents.

The Rosslyn scheme, submitted by Studious Building (Falmouth) Ltd, was for 117 student beds, along with a residents' lounge, fitness room, cinema and 18 parking spaces and were a revision of a previous scheme for 128 beds.

The Four Winds proposals came from One Red Limited and were for a total of 153 bed spaces, provided over five levels and in a combination of cluster flats and studio rooms.

Both schemes have been refused on the same grounds - that the sites are not allocated for development and the scale of the proposed development is "so substantial, exacerbated by the lack of effective control on adjacent amenity" that it is considered that the granting of permission would prejudice the community-led Neighbourhood Plan process.

The refusal document says for both applications: "In this case, by reason of its location within the town of Falmouth, the proposal would be contrary to the council's strategy for providing a range of sites in and around the existing University campus at Penryn where students can both live and study in and around the same location."

Both sites had recently been removed from Cornwall Council's Site Allocations Development Plan document and had been opposed by Falmouth Town Council. The decisions have been welcomed by local councillors.

Grenville Chappel, who represents Penwerris, said: "I am delighted because Falmouth's planning committee were against both applications - they are in the wrong place and the wrong size and add to that insufficient parking and noise problems. They ticked all the boxes not to go through."

Trescobeas councillor David Saunby said of the Rosslyn: "This development is totally out of character in this quiet area of Falmouth, which would cause deep unrest, and loss of privacy for residents, especially those who live in close proximity of the former hotel, but we still need to be on our guard against any appeals by the developer."

A statement from the Save our Falmouth pressure group, said: "This is a significant result for Save our Falmouth and its supporters who have worked tirelessly together to oppose both planning applications. We are extremely pleased with the case officer's decision not to support them and would hope that going forward any new planning applications will be sympathetic to the views of local people."