A bid to build on the car park of a Porthleven pub has failed – despite the owner’s claims that it would otherwise have to close.

Mr Allnutt had wanted to build a three-bedroom house with two parking spaces and a terraced garden on the land in Peverell Terrace, opposite the Atlantic Inn.

In the application to Cornwall Council it had been stated: "The Atlantic Inn has only survived through private cash injection, which is no longer available. The only way the pub can continue to trade is for the development of the car park. Without this, the pub will close and the pub will look to redevelop into residential housing."

However, planning officer Martin Jose refused planning permission using delegated powers, giving two reasons. One was that its “poor quality design” would not fit with the local character and distinctiveness of its prominent location, coupled with its “excessive scale” that would not improve the conservation area and area of outstanding natural beauty.

His second reason was that the elevated position, height, size of the proposed house, along with its close proximity to neighbouring Compass Cottage, would “unacceptably harm the outlook from, and be unacceptably overbearing upon, this neighbouring dwelling.”

In his report Mr Jose also noted how the application had stated developing the land would support the pub business, but added: “No details have been provided as to how this is so and how such funds would secure the viability of the pub going forward.”

He went on to say that other houses built in the area recently had been set low, in order to not dominate the landscape, but “the same cannot be said for the proposed dwelling.”

There had been 17 letters of objection sent to Cornwall Council, which included concerns over road safety, close proximity to neighbours and loss of the pub’s “iconic view.”

One described the statement from RA Design, that the car park “very rarely gets used,” as “simply untrue.”

Porthleven Town Council had also objected to the development, due to the size and scale of the proposed building and its "detrimental impact on the area," describing it as "overdevelopment."