Owners of Wellington Guesthouse hope to retire

The Wellington Guesthouse on Melvill Road is protected, however, by a 1998 policy preventing hotels in Falmouth's prime seafront area from being used as residential houses.

Owner Rosemary Riddette-Gregory argued that the policy is outdated, and that changing the Wellington into a residential home will not have a significant impact on the area due to the increase in Airbnbs.

She spoke at a meeting of Falmouth Town Council's planning committee about her wish to retire after 35 years in the business.

Rosemary said: "There's been a big move towards Airbnb and online travel agents. We feel, not against that, but that it's time to move on."

She added: "We feel that by our house reverting to residential it wouldn't have a high impact on the trade in Falmouth. Many others have gone to residential.

"At the moment many Airbnbs are all around us. You wouldn't know they're there."

Also noting that their business was a successful one, Rosemary pointed out that the changing nature of the industry meant that tourists were seeking different kinds of accommodation.

She said: "B&Bs that have been lost in five or ten years have been replaced by other businesses. They're all staying somewhere if they're not staying in traditional B&Bs or hotels."

Councillors voted to support her application. Boslowick councillor Steve Eva said: "I honestly think that there's enough rooms to accommodate what's needed in Falmouth."

He noted that a previous application for the change of use of Waverley House, also on Melvill Road, had set a precedent in the area after being allowed on appeal to change to student accommodation.

Penwerris councillor Grenville Chappel abstained from the vote but suggested afterwards that the policy protecting hotels in the area was outdated.

He said: "The policy was written in 1998 when the situation was very different."

The application will now go to Cornwall Council's central planning committee for a decision.