Cornwall council blocks controversial housing plan at Maker Heights
Plan to convert historic barracks into homes denied
Cornwall Council has rejected a contentious proposal to convert historic barracks into residential homes at Maker Heights, a culturally significant hub near the Rame Peninsula. The application, filed by Evolving Places Ltd, aimed to use a certificate of lawfulness based on permission granted nearly 30 years ago.
Opposition to the plan included strong sentiments from Rame Conservation Trust and locals, who argued the site had evolved significantly since the 1997 approval. Maker Heights has grown into a creative and cultural asset hosting live music venues, artists’ studios, and thriving local businesses. It's also home to a thriving cocktail bar and youth music sessions, attracting visitors from across the UK and providing livelihood and community connection to many.
The site, steeped in history as former military land, includes five scheduled monuments and 17 Grade II* listed buildings in the protected Rame Head area of the Cornwall National Landscape. Cornwall Council's planning department refused the application on 2nd June, citing that evidence did not demonstrate lawful implementation of the original 1997 planning permission, nor compliance with pre-commencement conditions.
Local resident Charlotte Turner voiced concern against the proposal, highlighting the site's dramatic transformation over the past 30 years. She described relying on outdated permissions based on a “technical loophole” as an abuse of planning procedures.
Ursula Stevenson, representing the Rame Conservation Trust, reinforced the site's heritage significance. She noted the architectural upgrades of the listed buildings and their preservation, declaring the Maker Heights complex as one of the finest collections of Napoleonic buildings in the country. The campaign against the proposal reflected the importance of maintaining the cultural and historic character of Maker Heights for future generations.