A Cornish house featured in a romantic rom-com written by Richard Curtis is the subject of a planning application.

The owner of Porthpean House – which was the setting for Richard Curtis’ time-travelling rom-com About Time – wants to build eight two-bedroom eco-lodges for family holidays and guests at weddings on the site. Plans also include the restoration of a walled garden at the beachside house near St Austell.

Martin Petherick, owner of Porthpean House, said: “This application is predicated on the continuing need to sustain historic Porthpean House by adding to the available accommodation which currently supports this high-quality holiday and wedding destination at ‘The Big Beautiful Beach House’, a successful business which I established in 2013.

“I believe there would be strong demand for people to stay in our sympathetically designed eco lodges. These will be strategically and discreetly placed between the car park and the restored historic walled garden that traditionally provided Porthpean House with produce.”

The Petherick family bought the house in about 1850. In 2012 Richard Curtis chose Porthpean House for his romantic comedy About Time, the success of which still brings people to the area. The film stars Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy

The plan is to also open the house gardens to the public to experience its celebrated camellia collection, which boasts many rare blooms.

PA23/04421: An outline planning application with all matters reserved for a 2-bedroom residential development in Liskeard has been approved by Cornwall Council’s planning team.

The application, concerning land at 51 Bodgara Way, was made by Mr Reece Bloodworth.

One member of the public, Mr Alan Hartridge, raised concerns in response to the application, saying: “Consideration needs to be given to the adequacy of information provided to properly assess and determine the planning application.

“If the local planning authority considers that this outline application ought to include further details it must notify the applicant no more than one month after the application is received, specifying which further details are required (the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015).

“It is suggested that further information is required in this case to properly evaluate the proposal. Although this corner plot might be sufficient to accommodate, say, a granny annex scale of development, this is quite evidently a smaller housing plot than others on this established estate and further information is needed to show that it is adequate for accommodating a suitably designed sustainable two storey two bedroomed house.

“The applicant states that the proposal will deliver the required internal space standards required. However, (from the information available on the website) the applicant fails to show that the proposal could do this and comply with CLP policy 13. It is suggested that there needs to be additional information submitted with the Planning Statement (D&AS) with some indicative drawings to demonstrate that a two-storey dwelling here could have sufficient internal space to meet the needs of future occupiers for everyday activities.

“In the absence of information that demonstrates otherwise the proposal could represent a sub-standard cramped form of development with a dwelling unable to provide minimum gross internal floor space areas (contrary to Policy 2(1a) and policy 13 of the Cornwall Local Plan) and contrary to the guidance in the Cornwall Design guide (section 9) which is supported by NPPF127.”

Liskeard Town Council supported the application.

Cornwall Council approved the application subject to conditions related to the assessment and implementations of measures related to contamination, and the incorporation of bat and bird boxes.