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BBC News
24-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Closed Newquay landmark to see £20m revival investment
About 100 new jobs could be created in Newquay as part of plans to spend £20m on a well-known landmark hotel, developers have to redevelop the Hotel Victoria and neighbouring buildings have been unveiled to the public by the Nicolas James Group and include a four to five-star hotel, along with 77 new hotel, a mainstay on Newquay's East Street since 1899, closed suddenly last November with its accompanying nightclub, pub and Mexican of Newquay Drew Creek said reinvesting into the community was important. He said: "The question around the apartments and the housing that they're producing here is always the question, are they truly affordable?"Are they in the reach of local people, which is of course what we desperately need here in Newquay."Unveiling the proposals on Monday, construction director Drew Wrintmore said the development would create 100 jobs in the said: "In order to be able to do that, we need to be able to have the engine of the residential development to be able to fund that."Viability, when we eventually get the final design of the scheme, will determine whether or not there is any affordable housing... but the properties will not be priced out of regular market range." Mr Wrintmore said the money would be put towards the root of the hotel's said: "High-end hotels in vibrant towns work really, really well, but they need to be done properly. "The hotel itself, the fabric is almost falling apart, especially the roof of it."The investment in it, a lot of it you'll see, but a lot of it you won't see because it will be buried in the fabric of the building." Resident Linda said it would be a "crying shame" to build new apartments next to the hotel said: "If it keeps its front, as it says on those pictures, then that's fine. "But to build cardboard boxes next door that we can walk down the barrow fields and see, I think is a shame. It's a crying shame."Jenny Jelbert, from the town, said she was "concerned about losing heritage places and overcrowding".Max Pocklington cleaned the windows of the hotel for 20 years before it said such investment was needed and he was "very happy" with the plans."I think it's going to be very good," he said.


BBC News
28-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cornwall Council elections: where the different parties stand
Elections for all 87 seats on Cornwall Council are being contested on Thursday 1 council, which is a unitary authority, was won by the Conservatives at the previous election in 2021. It is responsible for all public services locally - including fixing potholes, waste collections, caring for vulnerable adults and children, planning, and housing. Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, the seven major parties vying for votes have outlined their priorities if elected. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order of surname.A full list of candidates standing in all divisions for Cornwall Council can be found here. Conservative cabinet member Martin Alvey defended his party's record - including the introduction of 20mph said they wanted to build four thousand council houses a year during the next administration. Discussing how to boost town centres, he said they would freeze car park charges for four years and improve footfall by converting empty space above shops into housing. Green candidate Drew Creek claimed expensive parking was impacting town centres and they supported reducing fees during the off-season for local admitted they would like government permission to raise additional income through the introduction of a 'tourist tax' to copy what has been done elsewhere in the country. He also said affordable housing should be built first in any new developments. Mebyon Kernow leader Dick Cole said the party would push for extra powers to be devolved from Westminster so more decisions on providing affordable housing could be made in insisted town centres had received some financial support - and wanted to see villages and rural communities also catered for. He said cuts in government funding over recent years meant a 'tourist tax' could be a valuable source of extra income. Liberal Democrat group leader Leigh Frost vowed to get "back to basics" and deliver key services properly instead of being distracted by issues like the future of Newquay said town centres needed support to evolve as places for socialising and some discounted parking for residents might wanted the council's arms-length developer Treveth to build more affordable housing and to incentivise developers and landlords to provide more homes for private rent. Labour candidate Laurie Magowan said they would encourage more community-led housing schemes and focus on bringing empty homes into use and making them more wanted to work with local traders to put on more events like markets and live music to encourage more footfall in towns - but would not commit to lowering tariffs in car cautioned against a 'tourist tax' being too punitive and harming visitor numbers at quieter times of the year. Rowland O'Connor, from Reform UK, said the party would freeze council tax bills and look at how the authority spends its money. He wanted powers from the government to offer tax incentives to encourage developers to renovate old buildings to provide more housing and protect greenfield sites. He said lowering parking charges would help ailing town centres - but the party did not support increasing the cost of holidays to Cornwall with a 'tourist tax'. Independent group deputy leader Adam Paynter promised they would build 10,000 extra social homes over the course of the next said they would re-introduce more frequent clearing of drains and gullies to keep water off roads and reduce potholes group also supported the idea of a residents parking card where local people could use car parks for a discounted price.