Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth plan for mews houses in Cornwall

The Royal Duchy Hotel in Cliff Road has applied for planning permission to carry out the work on buildings at the back of the hotel, in Emslie Road.

It wants to demolish the existing nine garages, storage facilities, eight former staff bedrooms and a small maintenance shop in order to build a terrace of six residential mews houses.

The hotel says that the buildings are no longer needed and that a "small scale, well-mannered residential development" was considered to be the "most appropriate long term use for this site."

It is located within the conservation area of Falmouth, entirely within the curtilage and ownership of the existing hotel.

Another angle of the proposed houses Picture: CAD Architects/Cornwall Council

Documents accompanying the planning application state that the proposed houses will be two and a half storeys in height, although it adds that from Emslie Road the terrace will appear as two storey mews houses. On the hotel facing the roof will be cut back to provide a roof terrace.

Writing on behalf of the hotel, CAD Architects say: "Whilst the ridge heights of the proposed dwellings are set higher than the single storey buildings, they are not high when compared with the two, three and four storey buildings located adjacent and near to the application site.

"There will be no loss of significant public views, specifically of the sea, as a result of the increase in heigh of the re-development."

A 'before' shot of the garages Picture: CAD Architects/Cornwall Council

An 'after' shot of the area Picture: CAD Architects/Cornwall Council

The houses would front the street with a ground floor entrance next to an integral garage, with a home office or guest bedroom and utility room with WC on the ground floor, together with access onto a small private ground floor terrace.

One of the properties would have no accommodation on the ground floor, giving access under the building to a new rear parking court for five or six cars and secure storage of bicycles.

In each property a staircase from the ground floor entrance halls would lead to the first floor double bedroom, bathroom and open plan living and dining room, with all the houses having a first floor balcony.

The second floor would contain a further bedroom with an ensuite and access onto a private roof terrace, at the back of the properties facing the hotel.

Another 'before' shot Picture: CAD Architects/Cornwall Council

Another 'after' shot Picture: CAD Architects/Cornwall Council

CAD has written: "Mews houses by their very nature have either no gardens or small courtyard private amenity spaces. The properties have a small private terrace or balcony on every level.

"They will also benefit from the use of hotel facilities and the large shared outdoor amenity space in front of the hotel overlooking Castle Beach, as well as the beach itself."

The architects goes on to add: "The proposals will help meet local housing targets, with less need to develop greenfield land within the open countryside. There is an identified need for new housing."

The plans are now up for public consultation on the Cornwall Council website, under reference PA21/11374, ending on December 9.