Plans to build a five-storey Premier Inn hotel on a town centre car park in Falmouth have been placed on hold.

The proposals were due to be discussed at a meeting of Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee next week.

However, the committee’s chairman, councillor Mike Varney told a meeting of Falmouth Town Council on Monday: “I have taken the application for the Premier Inn off the agenda for next week in order for a public meeting to be held.”

The decision follows a show of strength by opponents to the hotel plans during a site visit to the proposed town-centre location last week.

Members attended the Campbeltown Way car park by Events Square on Thursday morning to view the area.

Despite heavy rain, they were greeted by more than 30 protestors who attended after an appeal was issued by the Falmouth and District Hoteliers Association.

Rosemary Ridette-Gregory, secretary of the association, has helped lead the campaign against the hotel.

She said: “The Falmouth and District Hoteliers Association very much welcomes the news that the Premier Inn application has been withdrawn from the agenda.

“We feel that we have done all we could to publicise the development proposals and our reasons for opposing it along with many other local residents.

“I have no doubt our elected representatives will take all the evidence into consideration at the committee meeting and make the right decision for Falmouth.”

Speaking during the site visit last week, Jenny Grigg, who lives in Fisher Court, said the hotel was not suitable for the area.

She said: “I have been here since the flats were built in 2003, and I never imagined anything like this would be happening.

“We never thought they would build anything like this, I wanted to live somewhere quiet and not have a 74 bedroom hotel built literally right outside my window.

“The hotel is too big for the location – it should be built outside the town centre if it is to be built at all.”