West Crinnis Field is designated Local Green Space and has been leased to local councils for nearly 100 Years as a public amenity space for the local and wider community.
When the lease ends in December 2026, use by the local and wider community is under threat by the Brend Group, owners of the Carlyon Bay Hotel, who want to extinguish the Public Right of Way, extinguish long walked historic routes, deny public access to the field and restrict the walked route to the South West Coast Path by the edge of the cliff.
People come from far and wide to enjoy the views, meet friends and walk their dogs. It’s a wonderful place for socialising, families, children, walkers, joggers, anyone with a disability and haven for those with mental health issues.
Originally, the Brend Group wanted to build on West Crinnis Field, as set out in a pre-planning application in 2023, before the Local Green Space designation came into force.
Latest News
Carlyon Parish Council have voted in favour of the Brend Group's latest proposal
At the Extraordinary Parish Council meeting on Wednesday 4 February the Parish Council, or more accurately the four out of six councillors that attended the meeting, voted in favour of the latest version of the proposed PROWs on West Crinnis Field. This latest proposal wasn't the proposal the Parish Council presented to the Brend Group on 21 January but is actually the Brend's version which is very similar to Preliminary Proposal 2 that was overwhelmingly rejected by the public.
Whilst the Parish Council maintain that it was a 'negotiation', it is clearly not. There is no significant gain for the community and the Parish Council's proposal was effectively rejected by the Brend Group.
We are now in a position where we either accept this 'final' proposal or risk no solution at all. That would mean that there would be no access through the Coastguard Gate and the only way of accessing the existing PROW through the field would be either from the coast path opposite Porth Avallen Hotel or the coast path from the beach car park. We're really caught between a rock and a hard place.
Cornwall Council PROW Team won't be submitting any more proposals due to the weight of public opposition and the Parish Council will not fight for the community they represent either.
It may be fair to say that the Brend Group hold all the cards as landowners, but the PROW runs through their tennis courts, through the spa and dining room, and out across the their putting green. Also, what is the value of the hotel with a PROW running through it versus one where the PROW is extinguished? That is surely where you negotiate from.
What happens when the lease ends in December 2026
The Brend Group take over complete control of West Crinnis Field after 100 years of it being a public amenity space.
The Parish Council will no longer be maintaining the field, cutting the grass or trimming the hedges.
Footpath 1 Carlyon does not provide a PROW through the Coastguard Gate and could be closed.
Permissive access and paths including long-walked paths could be extinguished at any time by the Brend Group.
What can the public do
Object to the latest proposal within the 28 day public consultation period when Cornwall Council issue a Public Path Order – this risks leaving no solution and the Brend Group closing the Coastguard Gate and restricting access to the existing PROW.
The decision would then pass to the Planning Inspectorate and the public would have to represent themselves and cover any legal costs, in a process that could take over 2 years, with no guarantee of winning.
Raise a Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) – individuals must submit their own evidence to demonstrate the use of the Coastguard Gate and long walked paths. This could take 10 years or, if fast-tracked, 2-5 years. In the interim the Brend Group could deny access through the Coastguard Gate or along permissive paths.
Extremely short notice meeting called by Carlyon Parish Council
West Crinnis Field is designated Local Green Space
At the Public Meeting the Chair reiterated that "no building" is allowed on West Crinnis Field as it's designated Local Green Space under the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).
But what exactly does that mean? No traditional buildings with foundations but what about 'temporary' buildings?
To clarify, 'no building' means no buildings or temporary structures can be built on the field. So no eco-lodges, yurts, shepherds huts, caravans, tents, igloos, pods or any other variation you can think of.
The current NDP runs until 2030. But that doesn’t mean the process for the NDP starts again. There may be some tweaks to update it and amend any minor discrepancies but that's it. It’s community led and the designation of Local Green Space cannot be changed by the Brend Group.
Only if planning rules are changed by government in the future to allow building on Local Green Spaces will building of any permanent or temporary structure be allowed.
Clarification about the Coastguard Gate and access
The 2nd Preliminary Proposal from the Brend Group showed two 'spurs' (paths) 'leading to' the Coastguard Gate. Now 'leading to' means exactly that, it leads to but not through the Coastguard Gate.
Whilst not audible or visible to the majority of us at the Public Meeting, the Cornwall Council PROW Team said they never create Public Rights of Ways that don't lead anywhere – but unless you're an expert in such things you would't know!
There's a big difference between a footpath that goes to the Coastguard Gate and one that allows access through the gate to and from Sea Road.
It would have been useful to have known this before as access through the Coastguard Gate is vital for the public to enjoy the views across the Bay and, if an agreement can be reached, access to the field.
Over 200 attended the Public Meeting
A massive turnout on a dark, cold and wet Wednesday evening with apologies from 19 elderly supporters (who didn’t want to turn out in the dark, cold and wet) and a dozen who would have attended if the time of the meeting was more suitable for workers.
A massive visible show of opposition to the proposals by the Brend Group who have been in negotiations with Cornwall Council to extinguish Footpath 1 Carlyon and access into West Crinnis Field.
Unfortunately everyone who attended the meeting deserved better. Poor organisation, insufficient seating, inadequate AV, an inaudible and unseeable presentation, resulted in utter confusion, frustration and anger. There were repeated shouts from the audience that they couldn’t hear anything but the presentation bumbled on with no-one addressing the problem.
The lack of clarity meant that the audience was clutching at straws to make any sense of what they had sat, and in many cases, stood through.
Public Meeting
Cornwall Council has called a public meeting and we need as many people as possible to attend to demonstrate that we object to the proposals to extinguish footpaths and restrict access to West Crinnis Field in Carlyon Bay.
The public meeting will take place at 6pm on Wednesday 14 January at Heavy Transport Social Club*.
If insufficient people attend this meeting, the implication is that objectors may be dismissed as “keyboard warriors”!!!
Your presence matters.
I hope you’re as passionate as we are and that you will make the effort to turn out in the cold and dark and, more than likely, rainy and windy evening in the middle of January.
*Heavy Transport Social Club is accessed through St. Austell Bay Business Park (opposite The Range & Par Market) Par Moor Road PL25 3RF.
NO access from Cypress Avenue.
2nd Preliminary Proposal
We're still awaiting final figures from the PROW Officer at Cornwall Council but we had 133 signatures on petitions that were circulated and over 100 email objections.
So thanks to public support we managed to eclipse the 175 responses to the 1st Preliminary Proposal made by the Brend Group.
As we learnt from the 1st Preliminary Proposal, there is no limit to the number of times a landowner can submit proposals so we need continued support from the local and wider community.
The continued objections from The Ramblers and South West Coast Path Association continue to be invaluable.
History
1824
Miners at Great Crinnis and Wheal Regent copper mines cross what is now know as West Crinnis Field on their way to and from work.
Part of Crinnis Mine is now covered by the grounds of the Carlyon Bay Hotel.
1925
St Austell Bay Hotel (now the Carlyon Bay Hotel) was built, and a private road was built from Cypress Avenue to the hotel.
The new hotel building and grounds cut off the Public Right of Way known as Footpath 1 Carlyon.
2023
The Brend Group, owners of Carlyon Bay Hotel, submit a pre-planning application to build lodges on the field despite the area being designated Local Green Space in the Neighbourhood Development Plan.
A public consultation undertaken by Carlyon Parish Council rejects the plan.
2025
In September and November the Brend Group submit preliminary proposals to extinguish Footpath 1 Carlyon and walked routes across the field and prevent access through the Coastguard Gate on Sea Road.
Due to the weight of public opposition the first proposal was rejected and we await feedback on the second.
Save West Crinnis Field
Our mission is to raise awareness and protect this invaluable green space for future generations.
"I was pleased to see that so many people came out on a cold January night to attend the Public Meeting, which really affirmed the value of West Crinnis Field not just to Carlyon Bay, but also the wider St Austell community too."
James Mustoe
Cornwall Councillor for Mevagissey and St Austell Bay
"I use the field virtually every day and we never see the field empty.
If access was denied I wouldn't be able to use it at all. If Brend Group get what they want it will ruin our daily life."
Robin Malcolm
"The hotel doesn't like it that the Public Right of Way runs through their field. My fear is that they will put a fence along the narrow strip to segregate the SWCP from the rest of the field."
Martin Pallet
Contact us
Location
West Crinnis Field
Sea Road, Carlyon Bay, Cornwall PL25 3RD