Cornwall Council has refused plans for a multi-million pound harbour development on a site incorporating Penzance's Battery Rocks beach, as part of efforts to improve links between the Isles of Scilly and the British mainland.

Proposals drawn up by a Route Partnership comprising Cornwall Council, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, Penwith District Council and the Duchy of Cornwall, were rejected by the county council's Strategic Planning Committee by a vote of 12 to seven. A new passenger and freight terminal building and the extension of existing harbour facilities formed part of the scheme, which met with local opposition due to the impact it would have on Battery Rocks beach.

Earlier this year, Cornwall Council warned that funding earmarked by the government for the scheme could be at risk if the development encounters any further delays, after a planning application was withdrawn in June.