COUNCILLORS and local figures have reacted to the plans to demolish the An Mor Hotel and its replacement with 39 retirement living flats.

It comes after a long running planning battle culminated in the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to allow the appeal against the planning decision by Churchill Retirement Living to be upheld.

The developer also was not required to contribute towards infrastructure, as they claimed that to provide affordable housing or contribute towards infrastructure would make the scheme unviable.

Local community figures have greeted the news with concern, particularly in like of the anticipated impact on residents during the building phase of the works.

MP Ben Maguire said: “This is a real blow for Bude’s residents, many of whom are struggling to find an affordable home. The development may suit the interests of a private developer, but it does nothing to meet the urgent need for affordable homes or relieve the pressure on local NHS services. With GPs already stretched and hospitals hours away, this decision risks making a very difficult situation worse.

“We need infrastructure delivered before this kind of development. I’ll be following this up with Ministers on behalf of the residents of Bude, who I know overwhelmingly oppose this decision.”

Cllr Peter La Broy, the Cornwall Council member for Bude said: “It’s regrettable that the views of our community didn’t seem to hold enough weight to influence the inspector to our point of view. Having read through the full report, I accept the reasons why the choice was made.

“However, there is no doubt in my mind that the building phase will have a tremendously negative impact on Bude. Once the building is complete, it will make our historic Hartland Terrace look very different. The only hope I have is that the building will be occupied by local people moving from larger properties, making them available for younger people and families.”

Calum McGrath, a Bude local who stood as a Conservative candidate in the last council elections said: “Naturally, I’m gutted. Not because I oppose building or redevelopment, but because the last thing Bude needs is to lose a hotel and building more apartments for older people. This will increase demand for holiday lets even further and put even more pressure on our local housing market, and it will increase pressure on our ambulance and social care services in the coming years. Meanwhile, our town grapples with accommodation for younger and working-age people.

“It is yet another failure of our planning system, which needs to be totally replaced with something completely different. Also, if we can have schemes that set aside housing specifically for older people, why not do the same for the under-40s?

“The building should remain a hotel or be turned into one and two bedroom flats, all of them with main residency conditions so that they cannot be let out as holiday lets or used as second homes.

“Unfortunately, there is no place for common sense in 21st-century Britain.”