Protesters are calling foul on a bid to develop Falmouth’s last surviving historic deep water wharf into ‘luxury flats’ and a hotel.

Nearby residents and some businesses at Falmouth Wharves have launched a petition against proposals to build a 14 bedroom hotel, 44 flats, 20 light industrial/workshop units, gallery space and a restaurant/cafe. The wharf area around the buildings would be open space with pontoons for small craft and a water taxi stop.

The area houses a number of local arts organisations and small businesses, notably Troubadour Studios. Musician Scott Wild, who practises regularly at Troubadour Studios said: “Falmouth Wharves is unique, and should be a space for fostering local jobs in the maritime industries, and making the most of local artistic talent. “Its potential is enormous and to see it turn into expensive second-home flats would be a disaster for the locality.”

Protestors say that the area is one of the last remaining places that offers affordable space for fledgling artists, craftspeople and creative industries, and that it acts as a vital incubator for small businesses. Nearby residents on North Parade, Tehidy Terrace, Stratton Terrace and Dunstanville Terrace are concerned about what they say is inadequate parking planned for the site.

There are also fears that the redevelopment would see the loss of the existing maritime related industries currently using the site. However the architects of the scheme say that deep water access at the site would actually increase.

There have been 32 objections lodged on Cornwall Council’s planning website. Brian Boulton, an objector, writing on the council’s planning website, said: “Many marine related industries will be lost if the proposed development is passed, for example, divers, salvagers etc. A huge number of jobs and livelihoods will simply be lost if this application proposal is successful.”

Matthew Sayer, in a written objection on behalf of Seawide Services Ltd and Falmouth Offshore Supplies, said that the development intends to change the industrial function, cultural identity, social dynamics and environmental balance: all to the detriment of the area as a whole, saying that the business and other maritime businesses cannot function without Falmouth Wharves He added: “Falmouth bills itself as, ‘The Spirit of the Sea'. The question we are asking is what use is the sea if people cannot work on and take inspiration from it.”

Development schemes for the site were rejected in 2006 and 2008, when planning inspector Jill Kingaby said there was “scant evidence” of any need for more luxury flats in the town.

She said: “Waterside sites should be safeguarded for uses needing such locations, giving priority to maritime industries.”

Falmouth Town Council has refused to support the plan. Councillor David Sterratt said: “This issue rears its ugly head every few years.

“This is the only working deep water wharf in Falmouth, and there is no way you can have flats and a hotel in an area where you have fork lift trucks operating for the businesses.

“If this goes through we will lose jobs for local people. This is the wrong place, it is an industrial area and should remain so.”

The committee voted unanimously to refuse the application. Cornwall Council will make the final decision.

Jonathan Manser, from the Manser Practice, the architects who have designed the scheme said that there had been a lot of misinformation about the development and that they had worked hard to overcome previous planning objections, working with Cornwall Council planners.

He disputed the claim that it would see a loss of the deep water wharf, adding that the buildings were in a very poor condition, and without investment and development they would get worse, leaving nothing at the site.

He also challenged the traffic concerns, saying a detailed traffic survey had been carried out by experts as part of the planning application.

Mr Manser added: "These plans are reasonable and sensible and will provide a real benefit for the harbour and the town."