PLANS to build a Premier Inn hotel on the site of a Falmouth town centre car park will be under scrutiny this week when a site visit is held by planners from Cornwall Council.

The meeting coincides with the opening ceremony of the Oyster Festival in the adjacent Events Square, but objectors have vowed they will not miss the chance to have their say.

Rosemary Hobbs, secretary of the Falmouth and District Hotelliers Association, said: "Many of our members could be expected to be at the festival.

“However, many members have pledged to be at the site meeting instead - and point out to members of the committee just how full every car park and on-street parking space is just at that moment. We are expecting many local residents to be there too.

"For Falmouth town centre to continue to thrive it needs every parking space available, especially at festival time.

“The various festivals that have been established in Falmouth over the last 15 years bring a huge amount of trade into town - last year 35,000 visitors attended the Oyster Festival.

“If one of the car parks, however insignificant to Councillors, is built on, those spaces will be lost forever. “It is estimated that if the new 74 bedroom hotel is built it will create a year-round demand for an extra 100 car spaces - but the plans show only six.

“That seems quite ridiculous and is against the Council's own stated policy.”

FDHA Chairman Shaun Davie added: "Where will these workers all park when any available spaces are taken up by hotel guests? What about ordinary local shoppers?

“We think there will be complete parking chaos at this end of town if the development gets permission and if it does, we intend to go to a judicial review, which will hold up the process for at least another six months.”

The meeting will take place at the Campbeltown Way car park at 11.30am on Thursday morning.