One of Falmouth’s most iconic hotels has revealed ambitious plans to redevelop the site adding 30 extra bedrooms, increasing the capacity of its restaurant and improve parking.

The Cornwall Hotel Collection, owners of The Greenbank Hotel on Harbourside,  say the building needs some significant improvements to its infrastructure including new windows, modern insulation, and the adoption of new technologies to reduce its carbon footprint and to improve sustainability and longer-term viability in uncertain times.

The Cornwall Hotel Collection have also just announced that they have bought The Falmouth Hotel.

Falmouth Packet: A mock up of how the hotel will lookA mock up of how the hotel will look (Image: Greenbank Hotel)

They say hotel has various logistical challenges in its current evolved state, the disabled access is not to current regulations, there are no accessible ground floor bedrooms, and the events space is in a highly challenging location, set far away from the front doors and up some unavoidable stairs.

As such, the current plans have been developed to address each of the hotel’s shortcomings and provide a holistic and beneficial scheme which respects the hotel, its heritage significance and the locality, including residents and visitors.

Falmouth Packet: How the Greenbank looks nowHow the Greenbank looks now (Image: Greenbank Hotel)

The proposed development provides an overall additional 30 bedrooms, whilst retaining the current hotel footprint and no increase to the overall height of the building.

Falmouth Packet: How the Greenbank looks nowHow the Greenbank looks now (Image: Paul Armstrong)

It also includes the relocation or the conference/events suite to a new purpose-built restaurant and events area in the waterfront location. The remaining space will be converted to new hotel bedrooms.

The current under croft parking area would be removed and converted to further bedrooms and admin offices.

In addition, the proposed development includes a new level access to reception and facilities for accessible parking close to the hotel. An additional new parking area is proposed to the north side of the hotel along North Parade.

Falmouth Packet: A mock up of how it would look in the eveningA mock up of how it would look in the evening (Image: Paul Armstrong)

In a statement issued to the Packet, a spokesperson for the Greenbank Hotel said the scheme tangibly enhances and consolidates the hotel’s appearance, notably from the water which is currently a mismatch of 20th Century styles.

“A relocated kitchen enables an increased restaurant capacity of up to 180 covers. There is a net gain of five parking spaces,” they said. “The footprint, overall height and existing dominance of the building will not change, and the proposals will create a positive visual impact by upgrading tired elements of the hotel and ensuring a more cohesive and contemporary image.

Falmouth Packet: Additional parking would be provided along North ParadeAdditional parking would be provided along North Parade (Image: Greenbank Hotel)

“As well as this, the hotel will achieve Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) through our plans to implement areas with living rooves and the retention of as much scrubland as possible. We will also be contributing to officially recognised Cornish planting projects.”

The Greenbank Hotel is full of history with famous guests such as Florence Nightingale staying in 1907 and in the same year Kenneth Grahame stayed at the hotel between the spring and autumn and was inspired to write Wind in the Willows.

Full details can be found on Cornwall Council's planning portal ref PA24/02790