Fears elderly Penzance residents would be trapped in retirement ‘island’ in flood
Environment Agency's responded to plans by Churchill Living
Last updated 14th Sep 2026
Retirement homes planned for Penzance’s seafront could be left “functioning as islands within surrounding floodwater”, with elderly residents unable to be evacuated or reached by emergency services.
That’s the view of the Environment Agency about a proposal by Churchill Living to build 56 retirement flats and six retirement cottages on the site of the former Lidl store in the Wherrytown area of Penzance. The plan remains undetermined almost a year past its original September 18, 2025 deadline.
Last month, the Environment Agency (EA) withdrew a previous objection to the planning application after flood risk conditions were put in place by the applicant.
However, the public body has still flagged “serious flood risk concerns” relating to residents being able to enter and leave the buildings in the event of a flood.
EA findings, published on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, state that during a design flood event (a statistical flood event used by planners) the buildings would be left “functioning as islands within surrounding floodwater”, with elderly residents unable to be evacuated or reached by emergency services in the event of a fire, a medical emergency or a power failure – for up to 12 hours at a time.
Campaigners have opposed the development since its inception, arguing that it is in completely the wrong place and would be vulnerable to flooding. There are currently 90 objections and two supporting comments on the council’s planning portal.
In a statement, they said: “The applicant’s own flood modelling, endorsed by the Environment Agency, shows the site’s grounds and access route would flood to depths of up to 1.97 metres during a design flood event, driven by wave over-topping.”
The EA states that “safe access and escape are not available during design flood conditions” and that the site would be “inaccessible to emergency services … for up to 12 hours”.
“The agency’s own projections show flood warning frequency at the site rising sharply over the development’s lifetime – from around 18 times a year by 2080 to 86 times a year by 2120, and potentially over 130 times a year under its worst-case scenario, meaning the site’s flood warning and evacuation plan could be triggered, on average, roughly once every four days by the later decades of the building’s life,” added campaigners.
Cllr Jim McKenna, Independent member for Penzance Promenade on Cornwall Council and portfolio holder for adult social care and health partnerships, said: “Over the last 16 months, statutory bodies and our local community have sent a clear, unified message regarding this site. The evacuation risks here are simply unacceptable.
“The evidence shows that our older and less mobile residents would face severe difficulties in the event of a major flood, especially given how heavily constrained emergency access is.
“As the cabinet member for adult care and health, my priority is ensuring that vulnerable people live in environments where they can be properly protected and swiftly evacuated if the worst should happen. Having thoroughly reviewed the evidence and listened closely to the community, I remain resolute in my objection. This is entirely the wrong location for vulnerable residents.”
Churchill Living’s vision for the site is to “deliver a development that meets our customers’ needs and the local need for retirement apartments whilst also contributing to the character of the Wherrytown part of Penzance, and making a positive contribution locally in terms of socio, economic and environmental benefits.
“Our aim is to create a high quality development that embraces sustainable design, enhances the setting of the area and maintains the local vernacular.”