Planning application has been applied for the demolition of the Seawings Restaurant (at the beginning of Mount Batten Breakwater) to be replaced by a 5 storey apartment block and a commercial unit.
Planning Application 11/01980/FUL Details
Demolition of existing, vacant, residential and restaurant building and erection of new build, mixed use building comprising of 10 residential apartments (use class C3) on the upper floors, a small commercial space on the ground floor (use classes A1-shops, A2-professional services, A3-restaurant and café, A4-drinking establishment, B1- business), and associated plant-rooms, bin-stores, cycle store and secure parking spaces.
Concerns would be it is hugely massive and will be out of proportion to the Mount, as seen from the West, The Sound and the Hoe; And the principle of building houses on a prominent and sensitive historic area
If you object to this proposal than please contact your councilors and send letters of objection to PCC.
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Totally out of keeping with this lovely area
I know , that any Maritime History & comment will quite naturally focus on
the Royal Navy in the first instance,and I respect that.
However,since 1st April 1918 Mountbatten has a unique Royal Air Force
history.Whilst I acknowledge how popular it is ,with both the people of
Plymouth,and visitors alike, any mention of this fact is at best a “token gesture” by the developers and Plymouth council!
This is underlined now ,by the naming of the houses on the site of the old officers mess as “Lord Louis crescent”,Ridiculous,as Mountbatten has nothing to do with the Royal Family.
I am against piecemeal housing development on the strength of developers say so; also my impression is that much “affordable” housing is built to minimal standards and likely to become slums of the future!
Any civilised society would recognise that the “seawings” restuarant site does have the strongest of connections with the heroic and pioneering story of R.A.F.Mount Batten. I believe the site and part of the existing building was once used as a Weather station for the seaplanes and the air and sea rescue service based there along with the inspired contribution from aircraftman Shaw; also I believe that the Mount Batten Rock itself is most certainly an ancient monument site with evidence of early human habitation. Any granting of planning permission allowing a modern development at seawings would be an act of utter sacrilige and abuse against what is clearly a heritage site for every Plymothian and visitor to treasure and enjoy!
Plymouth city council has alot to answer for, both in the past and it appears right now for even considering this proposal. Look at the shocking State of The old Palace theatre in union st one of the few historic buildings left in this city ,another issue i know.
A scaled down version has been re-submitted To PCC
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Controversial-waterfront-housing-development/story-16686355-detail/story.html
Does anyone know what is happening with Seawings since the planning application has been withdrawn?
thank goodness the application has been withdrawn. What a monstrosity. What on earth were they thinkin of!
Wednesday, 7 March 2012.
Just heard that this planning application has been withdrawn by the devlooper.
This proposal is outrageous.
There are more than enough prestigious apartments in the area. This new apartment block would be totally incongruous with its surroundings and obscure The Mount and historic tower – a real blot on the landscape!
The natural development of this area since its vacation by the RAF has brought much pleasure to the people of Plymouth as can be verified by the many individuals and families using it throughout the week but especially at weekends and school holidays.
If the existing Seawings restaurant was to be turned into an education centre explaining the history of the area and the marine biology of Plymouth Sound, you would have the support of most Plymothians.
Money and specualtive development are not everything. Leave Mount Batten alone!
As a resident of this area, it is of increasing concern that what drives on the road running through Hooe onto Mountbatten are the cars of the wealthy who treat these roads like race tracks, ignoring speed limits imposed for safety of all, therefore I feel the encouragement of yet more of the same minded people who can afford fines when it is the police can be bothered is to be discouraged, as I do not want to hear of a death due to careless driving and speed in this area.
But I do agree with many of the sentiments here, Mountbatten is for the people not the minority who can afford, who will in time if such a development goes ahead come to control the area. But as ever the coin speak’eth louder than words, people are ignored when money speaks and Plymouth with it’s problems, attracting the wealthy won’t solve them, it will just cause more discontent.
A museum is a good idea, especially when Plymouth’s heritage is based on the sea, curious we have no maritime museum like other seaboard cities in this country with a similar heritage and not, but as the area was a war time Sunderland flying boat base, perhaps a museum to celebrate all those who gave their lives for this country would be more fitting than a playpen for the wealthy minority. And who knows the wrecked Sunderlands reported to be in the Cattewater and near the breakwater, maybe a museum might instill their recovery, what is left of them to be returned home to Mountbatten.
Out of keeping with the area. Mountbatten is for the people of plymouth not a place for the rich and famous to live
This developement should absolutely not go ahead. To put a monstrous
eyesore like this in such a beautiful place would be ceriminal. People come from miles around to see the spectacular views in and around plymouth sound. The only building you should see on this site is the historical building that is on the cliff top.Isnt it strange how the planning form has appeared on the lamp-post outside in the winter and not at the height of summer when hundreds of people would have seen it and been able to object. It looks like this project was already in the bag a long time ago.
As a former RAF serviceman who was stationed at Mt Batten I strongly object to the demolition of the old breakwater house. OK I have personal conections with this building as it was where I was billeted together with other RAF Police personel. I have strong memories of this building as I am sure other people have, to build that monstrosity would spoil the whole outlook of the area, and I definitely agree with all other objectors.
14-02-2012.
As a resident of the area I have a long standing love of Mount Batten.
However this proposal is and will be detrimental to the visual aspect of the Old Mount and the Saxon Tower on the mount as seen from Plymouth Hoe and the Barbican area of the City.
From it’s opening up to the public of Mount Batten, all businesses run from the current building on site has FAILED. It is there for possible that any New Business Venture will not succeed. The current building would be best demolished and the site retunred to it’s natural
environment of Mount Batten and Saxon Tower to maintain our heritage for future years, Private Development is money orientated for profits.
This is totally unacceptable here.
The Mount Batten peninsular should retain its historical heritage which includes maintaining its key position as part of Plymouth Sound – the ‘jewel’of Plymouth. This development is rediculous as it smacks of a shear disregard for all these principles.
The Mt. Batten Breakwater is a part of Plymouth’s valued “heritage” area along with the Hoe,Barbican etc. Any plans to build anything obtrusive – particularly residential property – on this very high profile site would be obviously wrong!
Further from my previous response: I understand that the developers did go to a number of pre planning meetings. To quote from their application form…
‘A pre-application enquiry was submitted to PCC on the 9th July 2010, receipt acknowledged on the 29th July 2010. Various meetings took place with the case officer [Robert Heard] and PCC’s Urban Designer, Mr Jonathan Selman in the period between 2nd August 2010 and 6th January 2011.
The proposed siting of the building on site, it’s form, scale/ massing and materials where discussed in those meetings. The proposed design is a result of those discussions as well as a considered approach to the Client’s brief.’
Use of this site inappropriate for this type of building does not fit in with the historic value of the site. What happens when the fireworks displays are here for three days or more do you empty the building for health an safety reasons or take your chances that it does not go up with the fireworks or does plymouth stop this show which brings in more income for the city than one building.
After the RAF vacated Mountbatten the development that has taken place has been sympathetic to the site. I have been walking dogs around the site for years and admired the way in which any development has not spoiled the vista of the area. This monstrosity is totally wrong for that site. If the exsisting building has to be demolished please replace it with something more in keeping with the surrounding area. I trust that the planners will see that it is totally wrong to build this type of design in such a prominent place
This does not suit the area at all.
It will spoil the view from the Hoe, not what we want the tourists seeing
it does not fit in the local area buildings, wrong style and too high
Seawings is the third restaurant to fail there, what make them think this one will succeed.
wrong design.
Anyway who would want to live in a place where 5000 people at a weekend will be looking into their apartment
put this design in sutton harbour next to the other aprtment blocks
NO NO NO NO NO totally inappropriate use of this site
Extremely ugly with no thought to its surroundings and architecture. If Seawings could not be profitable why should any other restaurant be so? There are so many restaurants in Plymouth that it will become one big dining room. At least the present building does not dominate the landscape.
The proposal cannot be serious!
I wholeheartedly agree with the second paragraph in the comments made by Robin Blythe-Lord. It is most probably a stalking horse initiated by the developer to cover his/her true purpose.
OMG where to start? Yes its too big, obliterates a wonderfully unique natural feature, altogether inappropriate and of dated humdrum design. One wonders if the developers went to a pre planning meeting with PCC. If they did then of what were PCC thinking not indicating a maximum size and construction details for such a sensitive site? Mind you they have done the same for Hooe Lake Quarry, Staples Building, Drake Circus Mall, Holiday Inn, Jury’s Inn… should we be surprised? I think not. PCC has a long, valued and much protected history of really awful buildings approval. Where is the quality? Where is the architectural excellence? Why do we always get second best?
OR… Could it be a stalking horse? You know the routine: Apply for something altogether over the top and when the local populace arrive foaming at the mouth reduce it by half, which is what is wanted in the first place, but would have been considered over the top if seen first.
OR… WOW! Let’s have more of these. Clad the mount with bingo halls, shell shops, snack bars, soap sellers, build out along the breakwater with three storey homes and catapult launched skidoos. Come on PCC, you have no imagination! Hmmm. Perhaps a good thing after all!
i srongly object to the way we in plymouth them that run especially allow the past history of plymouth and its great naval past, destroy any thing that cant make a pound or two for the council and developers lets create a museum or some public functional use for the old pub that was at mountbatten pre and post war why dont we here protect our past and make a feature of it.Like the old NAAFI a great building and allowed to be leveled .also who would want to live right next to howling sea gales strange.