Block Management in Newquay
Nearly half of Central and Pentire is flats, under a 5 per cent HMO test.
As a managing agent, we offer block, estate and leasehold management to RMCs, RTM companies and freeholders in Newquay, 51 miles from Plymouth.
Newquay Central and Pentire was 49.5 per cent flats or converted buildings at the 2021 Census. Holiday letting decides whether a flat pays business rates or council tax with Cornwall's 100 per cent second homes premium, and the town centre sits outside any conservation area.
Proposals are for developments of 50 or more units. Smaller building? Talk to our team.
Holiday Letting Terms and the 5 Per Cent HMO Test
Review Lease Terms on Holiday Letting
Since April 2023 a self-catering flat moves to business rates only if available for 140 nights and let for 70; otherwise it stays on council tax, with Cornwall's 100 per cent premium if it is nobody's main home. We would review subletting terms and handle consent requests.
ConsentsCheck HMO Density Before Consenting Conversions
Policy H3's 5 per cent test within 100 metres applies where planning permission is needed: always for a large HMO of 7 or more people, and for a smaller one only where an Article 4 direction removes permitted development. Before granting lease consent for HMO use we would ask the owner to show the planning position.
Leasehold managementMeasure Radon in Communal Areas
Newquay town centre is radon band 5, at 10 to 30 per cent, and measurement is still advised. We would arrange radon measurement in ground-floor communal areas and keep the results on the compliance record.
ComplianceInspect Exposed External Metalwork
Newquay faces the open Atlantic, with Great Western, Tolcarne and Towan beaches within about half a kilometre of the centre. We would include balconies, railings and other external metalwork in scheduled inspections.
InspectionsCornwall Council and Nearly Half the Centre in Flats
- Local authority
- Cornwall Council
- Authority type
- Unitary
- Building control
- Cornwall Council Building Control
- County
- Cornwall
- Fire and rescue service
- Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
- Water and sewerage
- South West Water
- From our Plymouth office
- Approx. 51 miles by road
- Setting
- Coastal
Page last updated . Sources: ONS Census 2021, accommodation type (TS044); Environment Agency long term flood risk; Environment Agency flood map for planning; UKHSA UK radon map; GOV.UK council tax premiums guidance; Historic England, National Heritage List for England.
The Cost of Moving a Newquay Block to Us
Management is a fixed annual fee, quoted for the building and agreed before we start. We take no commission and no third-party incentives, so the fee is the whole of what we earn from the building. Taking a block on carries a one-off start-up fee, set by size:
| Block size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Start-up fee, up to 10 units | £420.00 |
| Start-up fee, up to 25 units | £540.00 |
| Start-up fee, 50 units and above | £660.00 |
Taken from our published Additional Services price list, PBM Form #01-27 rev.6, effective 23 June 2025. All fees quoted are inclusive of VAT. See how our block management fees work and what changing your managing agent involves.
ARMA ACE Awards 2022, Managing Agent of the Year (1,000 to 5,000 units). ISO 9001:2015 certified. Member of The Property Ombudsman. Google reviews.
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Flood Zone Coverage in the Centre Is Very Limited
Flood zone coverage in Newquay's centre is very limited, with only one Environment Agency Flood Zone 3 area and one Flood Zone 2 area close to it. For a block near the centre, the exact address should still be checked against the flood zones for insurance.
Nearly Half of Central and Pentire Is Flats
Newquay Central and Pentire was 49.5 per cent flats or converted buildings at the 2021 Census. Trenance was 23.9 per cent and Porth and Tretherras 17.7 per cent. For a converted building in the centre, fire separation and the extent of each demise need checking at handover.
Band 5, Not the Top Band, but Measurement Advised
Newquay town centre is in radon band 5 of 6, a maximum potential of 10 to 30 per cent rather than above 30. Measurement is still advised, so ground-floor communal areas of a block should be tested.
A 5 Per Cent HMO Test Measured Along the Street
Newquay's neighbourhood plan, made in April 2019, controls HMOs by a density test rather than a blanket refusal. Policy H3 supports a new HMO only where off-street parking is provided for half the proposed bedrooms and waste storage and amenity space are adequate. The proportion of buildings used wholly or partly as an HMO within 100 metres of street length either side of the site must also not exceed 5 per cent.
Converting an HMO back to a single dwelling is supported. The plan has no principal residence policy. Policy D2 requires anything larger or taller than the surrounding townscape to be tested against the Newquay Character Study with accurate visualisations from key viewpoints. For a block, the number of HMOs already on the street can decide whether a request to let a flat as an HMO can get planning permission.
Holiday Letting Decides Council Tax or Business Rates
Cornwall Council has added a 100 per cent premium to the council tax on second homes since 1 April 2025. Holiday use decides which bill a Newquay flat gets. Since April 2023 a self-catering property in England moves onto business rates only if it was available to let commercially for 140 nights and actually let for 70 nights in the previous twelve months, and is intended to be available for 140 nights in the next twelve. A flat let for less than that stays on council tax, and if it is nobody's main home the premium applies.
A Town Centre Outside Any Conservation Area
- Newquay town centre is not in a conservation area, unlike Truro, Falmouth, St Austell, Penzance and St Ives, so external alterations there are not caught by conservation area control.
- Only three listed buildings sit within 500 metres of the centre, against 151 in Falmouth and 241 in Truro, so listed building consent rarely bites here.
Newquay Leaseholders at Tribunal
| Development | Issue | Decided |
|---|---|---|
| Bredon Court, Tower Road | Section 20 consultation | 21 July 2026 |
| Marina Court, 9 to 19 Mount Wise | Section 20 consultation | 24 June 2021 |
The Developments We Run Nearest Newquay
- Rialto Court, St Austell, about 14 miles away in a straight line.
- Polmear Apartments, St Austell, about 14 miles away in a straight line.
- Brunel Mews, Saltash, about 38 miles away in a straight line.
Newquay Villages, from Crantock to Mawgan Porth
Crantock, Porth, St Columb Major, St Mawgan, Mawgan Porth, Holywell Bay.
Newquay Questions on Holiday Lets and Business Rates
Does a Holiday Let Flat in a Newquay Block Pay Council Tax or Business Rates?
It depends on use. Since April 2023 a self-catering property in England moves onto business rates only if it was available to let commercially for 140 nights and actually let for 70 nights in the previous twelve months, and is intended to be available for 140 in the next twelve. Otherwise it stays on council tax, with Cornwall's 100 per cent second homes premium if it is nobody's main home.
Can a Flat in Newquay Be Converted to an HMO?
Under policy H3 of the neighbourhood plan, made in April 2019, a new HMO is supported only where off-street parking covers half the proposed bedrooms, waste storage and amenity space are adequate, and HMO use within 100 metres of street length either side does not exceed 5 per cent. That test applies where planning permission is needed, which is always the case for a large HMO of 7 or more people but for a smaller one only where an Article 4 direction removes permitted development. A neighbouring conversion can decide the answer before an application is made.
Is Newquay Town Centre in a Conservation Area?
No. Newquay town centre is not in a conservation area, so external alterations there are not caught by conservation area control. Only three listed buildings sit close to the centre. Policy D2 still requires anything larger or taller than the surrounding townscape to be tested against the Newquay Character Study.
Along the North Cornish Coast
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