Further progress for the £250 million Carlyon Bay residential and holiday resort has been announced at a public exhibition featuring the latest plans for Shorthorn and Polgaver beaches.
Developer Commercial Estates Group (CEG) said it hoped site preparation and clearance including the demolition of the Coliseum would commence in spring 2015 with the construction of the sea defences starting later that year.
At an earlier exhibition in July, which focused on Crinnis Beach, 83% of visitors said they liked the proposed layout. Whilst Crinnis will accommodate 70% of the properties and reflect the typical characteristics of a Cornish seaside village, Shorthorn Beach will adopt a ‘softer’ approach with a sand dune influence dominating the landscape.
Polgaver will predominantly be a natural ecological sanctuary with some beach facilities including tennis courts, a play area and nature trail. Development is restricted with no residential accommodation allowed. Steps will be built near Fisherman’s Point at the east of the site to connect the beach with the coastal footpath.
The appointment of two architect firms was announced earlier this year, with Squire and Partners focusing on Shorthorn Beach and Pencil & Ink developing the Crinnis masterplan. Landscape architect LDA Design, whose previous projects include the London 2012 Olympic Park, is a further addition to the team.
LDA Design associate Scott Carroll said: “We’re genuinely excited by the unique and special nature of this project. As designers, we bring with us a true love of Cornwall, award-winning coastal design projects and the skills and experience gained from leading many high profile landscape and ecology driven schemes.
“All our work will be inspired by Cornwall, the particular qualities of Carlyon Bay and the desire to create a place that people will love to spend time in.”
Jon Kenny, development director for CEG, said: “Carlyon Bay will be a transformational place which embraces the culture, transitional landscape, natural light and character of the site.
“We’re very pleased to be able to move forward with this flagship project which will boost the image of St Austell and the wider community, give the clear signal that the area is a great location for investment and bring hundreds of full time, quality jobs to the area.”
Public feedback from both exhibitions will be taken into account before submitting ‘reserved matters’ to Cornwall Council by the end of the year.
“We aim to start work on site in spring 2015 but timing is ultimately down to Cornwall Council who will be responsible for approving the reserved matters, discharging pre-commencement planning conditions and finalising project funding,” added Kenny.
