Falmouth Packet - Residents vow to fight wharf plan

Residents who live next door to a Falmouth wharf earmarked for a £20 million development have vowed to fight the project over fears it could have a devastating effect on the area they live in.
Letters are to be sent to every home in North Parade highlighting the planning application by Norwegian businessman Rolf Munding, who wants to build a hotel, two restaurants, 43 flats, a large commercial area and Roman-style stone amphitheatre at the Coastline Wharf.
The letter has been drafted by a group of residents who have got together to voice their concerns that the project could result in an increase in noise levels, a large amount of extra traffic passing through the area and the loss of the businesses who currently trade at the wharf.
Former mayor Douglas Martin, who lives directly above the wharf, in North Parade, said: "We intend to fight this as a group. We would encourage residents to come out and totally oppose the project as it stands at the moment."
He added the group was not against the project in principle.
"What I do intend to do is try and ask this guy here to shrink his development and go along with the residents who live here," he explained.
Another resident, Fran Brennan, said: "My single, main concern is that it will entirely shift the whole emphasis from daytime to night-time use. We're going to be listening to people driving away from restaurants at 20 past 11 at night. In terms of the ethos of the development, it's just another devastating example of fluff for the tourist industry. It's just someone else imposing their idea of how people think we should live."
She feared that a lot of residents in the area were not aware of just how the development could effect them.
"We have our windows open full in the summer. I don't want to be lying in bed listening to people coming out of restaurants and starting cars," she added.
The group has also called for a site meeting to be carried out by Carrick district council's planning committee, before they make a final decision over whether to grant planning permission.

By Emma Goodfellow