Plans, which split opinion in the village of St Mawes last year, are back on the table after amendments were made to the design following public consultation and comments made by concerns locals.

Pomery’s Ltd, a company set up by members of both the Roseland Gig Club and St Just and St Mawes Heritage Group, wants to knock down a historic former waterfront garage and create ground floor accommodation for the gig club to store its boats and provide limited accommodation. The first floor would provide meeting space for the community and Heritage Group with a museum and art gallery, while the upper floors would provide residential accommodation.

The building – originally constructed in the late 18th or early 19th century as a pilchard warehouse – was previously the home of artist and musician Brenda Pye, who bequeathed the freehold of the site to the gig club. She also created a 984-year lease in favour of the St Just and St Mawes Heritage Group, running from 2014. However, her bequest did not provide the means to update the building, which is in a poor state.

The applicants state that the cost of the new building can be covered by including flats on the upper floors, whose sale will generate funds to pay for the whole building. Initial plans caused controversy last year, with over 100 people signing a petition calling for the original application to be thrown out, stating “that in terms of scale, character distinctiveness, roofline and skyline it is not in keeping with our fishing village heritage”.

Christine Williams, chair of St Mawes Heritage Group, said last October: “It was never going to be an easy building to renovate – it’s condemned and there are many problems with it.

“It’s not economically viable or sensible to renovate it. That building lasted for 150 years and now we’d like another building which will last another 150 years for the community.”