Newquay residents furious after developer blocks popular coastal route with gates and rubble
A row has erupted after tall metal gates and private property signs appeared along the path, blocking access.
Newquay residents have found themselves embroiled in a row with a local developer after a coastal path used by locals was blocked with large access gates and rubble.
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Popular among residents and outdoor enthusiasts alike, those living in the area claim the route along the Trevelgue Headway has long been used by walkers who assumed it was a public footpath - only to now face pushback over access.
An escalating dispute, the developer's solution to the lack of access appeared to be for locals to purchase one of his new-build luxury holiday homes in order to gain access.
Residents and visitors now say they have been left “frustrated and concerned” after tall metal gates, fencing and private property signs appeared alongside rubble, blocking the path.
It's now pushed locals to form the Glendorgal Coast Path group, founded by local teacher Matt Kennedy-Smith, 49, in a bid to push back against the developer's demands.
The row began after Séamus Redmond, owner of the Glendorgal hotel has stood on the site for decades, applied for planning permission in 2025.
The hotel had been closed since 2020 - except for a brief stint in 2023, with the goal of redeveloping the site into luxury housing.
Permission was subsequently granted, with plans to build 12 holiday homes on the site, located on the picturesque Nequay headland, moving forward.
But as construction got underway, the private land owner cordoned off the site, telling locals they had no right of way and “anyone who is using it or has been using it is trespassing”.
When a local objected to him blocking access, Redmond reportedly said: “Buy one of the properties and have exclusive rights of way included in the purchase price. Let me know if you’re interested!”
Now, the campaign has stepped up a notch, with locals conducting surveys and gathering evidence in support of public access to the footpath.
“It is clear that many people care deeply about this special place,” a spokesperson for the group said.
“We understand the strength of feeling being expressed online. Many people are frustrated, upset and concerned about the loss of access to a route that generations of local people and visitors have enjoyed for decades.”
A campaign that has gathered pace, one survey conducted by locals found that more than half used the route weekly.
Moreover, over 95 per cent of those using the path believed the route was open to the public and not on private land, noting they had never been challenged on that assumption or been stopped by anyone in the past.
The group is now seeking to apply for a Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) - an order that forces Cornwall council to investigate the historical use of the route.
Gathering User Evidence Statements from locals - including fishermen and those living in the area, the aim is to push for permanent public access to the route once again.
In response to the campaign group, Redmond wrote on Facebook: “There was no right of way. It is private property and anyone who is using it or has been using it is trespassing.
"Apart from that we are now faced with people vandalising our property which is also our home. Sick or what?"