Tourism plans for concert venue revealed

Bulldozers could move in at the Cornwall Coliseum

Plans to demolish a former popular concert venue in Cornwall and build a multi-million pound tourist complex have been unveiled.

Development company Ampersand wants to knock down the Cornwall Coliseum at Carlyon Bay, near St Austell, and build a £110m tourism base in its place.

The plans include building 500 holiday lets as well as shops, hotels and conference facilities.

If approved, the project will take three years to complete and will provide 600 full-time retail and leisure jobs.

Increased traffic

Ampersand estimates an annual income of between £30m and £40m will be generated by the project.

We will use shuttle buses and encourage people to get to the area using means other than a car

Ampersand Group chief executive Johnny Sandelson

But local residents fear the plans will lead to increased traffic and widespread disruption.

Mark Frazer, from the Carlyon Bay Sea Road Frontages Association which represents 100 homes in the area, said: "A figure of an extra 1,000 cars per day has been mentioned and the roads are busy enough already.

"I'm not sure they can take any more traffic."

But Ampersand Group chief executive Johnny Sandelson said the traffic problem had been over-exaggerated.

"It will be more like 500 cars a day," he said.

Shuttle buses

"Like any site in Cornwall, it has infrastructure and transport issues, but we have got traffic consultants working on it.

"We will manage it. We will use shuttle buses and encourage people to get to the area using means other than a car."

The site was originally granted planning permission in 1989, but despite a string of different owners, it has yet to be developed and many local people say it has become an "eyesore".

Mr Sandelson said architects had been given a specific brief not to put in any retail facilities which would detract from St Austell's plans for its own regeneration.