The founder of Alton Towers has won planning permission to develop the UK’s "first six star resort” which will be built in North Cornwall.

Situated between Newquay Airport and Padstow, Camel Creek Resort will feature luxury villas, stylish tree houses and a large sub-tropical pool surrounded by thousands of newly planted indigenous trees. Work is expected to start in February and take about three years to complete.

Permission was granted by Cornwall Council's strategic planning committee who voted 17 to one in support of the venture.

John Broome, founder of Alton Towers, said: "This gives Cornwall another world class destination. With the Eden Project, hopefully the Spaceport and now Camel Creek Resort, the area can shift out of the pattern of seasonal employment and low wages into a high-tech and upmarket future.

“We will be creating 997 permanent jobs at Camel Creek with at least double that in our supply chain. We have a strong Cornish First policy which will determine that we buy as much as we can of whatever we can from inside the county.

“We already have relationships with local schools, colleges and universities and will work closely with them to ensure that we can provide Cornish residents with the skills needed to work at all levels in Camel Creek.

“In addition we will be creating a world class holiday resort that will bring high net worth individuals to Cornwall where they will spend their money outside the resort as well as inside.”