Cornwall Council has voted to resubmit a listed building consent application as part of plans to develop a new passenger and freight ferry terminal at the South Pier site in Penzance.

Plans for new facilities on reclaimed land at the harbour, a pier extension and rock armour protection to the pier were rejected by planning officials in December, despite a 'minded to approve' recommendation. Local residents and English Heritage voiced opposition to the proposals due to the likely effect the development would have on the Battery Rocks beach, but the council has now decided to press ahead with the scheme.

Falmouth will also be considered as a fall-back option for new ferry facilities, which forms part of efforts to improve links between the British mainland and the Isles of Scilly. A Route Partnership - comprising Cornwall Council, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, Penwith District Council and the Duchy of Cornwall - is behind the plans, which have also been boosted by the High Court's decision to refuse an application to prevent any development of the South Pier site.