SIR David Attenborough has been unwittingly dragged into a planning row in Cornwall over a contentious bid to build retirement flats at a seafront location.

Churchill Living has applied to build the 56 flats, alongside six retirement cottages, on the site of a former Lidl store in the Wherrytown area of Penzance.

There are currently 88 objections against the proposal on Cornwall Council’s planning portal, with just two comments in favour, with many of those opposing the development saying it places vulnerable residents within a High Risk Flood Zone 3 area, which the Environment Agency has already deemed inappropriate.

A representative of Penzance residents who are against the proposal has written to Sir David Attenborough’s representatives after the broadcaster and naturalist was featured in a Churchill Living marketing leaflet last month.

Julian Sincock believes the national treasure’s appearance in the literature could “easily be interpreted as implying an association or endorsement”.

The presenter, who turns 100 at the beginning of May, appears on the cover under the heading ‘Sir David Attenborough: A Century of Championing the Planet’ with an accompanying article inside.

The leaflet features a line about the Penzance development awaiting planning approval on the back page. There is no mention of the proposal in the article about Sir David.

Mr Sincock said: “The juxtaposition of his image with phrases such as ‘reassurance for your family’ and ‘worry less, live more’ risks creating a misleading impression of environmental credibility and safety, particularly when the proposal is located in an area where national policy clearly states that ‘highly vulnerable’ uses are not appropriate.

“Any implication, direct or indirect, that the scheme aligns with the environmental values associated with Sir David Attenborough is also misleading, as there is no evidence of his endorsement or association with this application.”

His letter said: “Given Sir David’s long-standing commitment to environmental protection, many members of our community are concerned this association – whether authorised or not – may imply endorsement of a project that conflicts with the principles he has championed throughout his career.

“Our community, working with the Environment Agency and Sustainable Penzance, is currently developing an alternative proposal to acquire and re-nature the site.”

A representative of Sir David responded to Mr Sincock’s concerns, thanking him for his letter and adding the broadcaster would never give permission for his words to be used in connection with any development.

In a further email, the representative said: “Sir David will not wish to get involved with the wider planning issue here.”

A Churchill Living spokesperson added: “Sir David Attenborough was featured in a recent newsletter to mark his centenary and recognise his contribution to public life. The article made no reference to Penzance or to any Churchill development, and any suggestion of a link between the two is incorrect.

“As a 100 per cent brownfield developer, we focus on regenerating town centre sites, delivering measurable environmental improvements and helping to free up much-needed family housing locally. In 2025, we achieved an average 36.5% Biodiversity Net Gain across our completed developments.

“We continue to work constructively with the Local Planning Authority and consultees as the proposals for this site progress.”

A one-hour public meeting has been provisionally arranged at Penlee Bowling Club, Bolitho Gardens, Penzance on Wednesday, April 29 at 5pm for people to raise concerns and ask questions about the proposal.