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Cornwall seaside hotel plans expansion which will change the look of Watergate Bay
One of Cornwall’s most prestigious seaside hotels is planning a large expansion which will see it redeveloping a neighbouring hotel, building new beach loft suites and a ‘landmark’ beach pavilion for food businesses alongside a connecting bridge.
The Watergate Bay Hotel, near Newquay, has lodged plans with Cornwall Council to redevelop the former Tregurrian Hotel site, which is based across the road, for a six and seven-storey building to include nine holiday apartments, a gym, studio and treatment rooms, restaurant, hotel staff wellbeing area and store rooms with decked car parking at the rear.
It has also applied to construct a two-storey building on its existing private car park (the XA) for 12 beach loft hotel suites as well as the creation of a pavilion for food and beverage outlets and a small convenience shop for the public. Related infrastructure and landscaping includes work to create a more pedestrian-friendly centre to Watergate Bay, and a new bridge connection from the XA site to the main Watergate Bay Hotel.
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The proposed building on the Tregurrian site is designed as a landmark for Watergate Bay Hotel with a new complimentary offer of hotel apartments, with a focus on well-being. It would be home to the Watergate Beach Club, including a swimming pool, gym, studios and treatment rooms, along with a restaurant space and an area to house staff well-being.
On the lower ground floor, the hotel proposes a staff area for the Watergate Bay Hotel team. This would include an area for the team to prepare their food, socialise, get ready for their shifts and store their belongings safely. A restaurant and well-being areas are located on the ground floor and upper ground floor. The main entrance from the car park would be located on the first floor.
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The area above is proposed to be larger hotel apartments. These rooms are designed for groups of guests and families who require more space on their holiday. The Tregurrian site is narrow and has a steep contour following Trevarrian Hill and, as a result, the proposed building has been designed to fit comfortably on the slope to minimise excavation work and large changes to the landscape.
On the edge of the XA site, at the centre of Watergate Bay, the hotel is proposing the creation of a new beach pavilion. The pavilion would be seen by people approaching from both Trevarrian and Tregurrian Hill and the public car park to the east. A planning reports states it will be carefully designed to be Watergate Bay’s “landmark / gateway”.
The beach pavilion would replace the existing containers on site which house food vendors, gathering them into a single “more attractive building”. The beach pavilion will house different vendors to offer food and beverage to Watergate Bay Hotel guests and the wider public. During the public consultation, the hotel received significant feedback that there is a great need for a local convenience shop in the bay. Following that, it has updated the design to incorporate a small shop in the pavilion.
The provision of a new bridge will also bring much-needed connectivity between all the offerings of Watergate Bay Hotel, says the application.
A new partially decked car park at the rear of this site will draw car parking from the centre of Watergate Bay. Three new crossings are proposed at the junction of Trevarrian Hill and Tregurrian Hill roads to allow for better pedestrian circulation through the site. Improvements to existing “unsafe footways” are proposed to further improve walking routes.
A change in road surface at the key central junction in Watergate Bay is also proposed to assist with traffic calming.
The total scheme comprises 12 new hotel units, with a split of three one-bedroom units and nine family rooms with two bedrooms. On the XA site, the car park layout has been designed to be a less “car dominated site”. The site will accommodate 56 parking spaces.
The application will be considered at a future planning committee meeting.
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