New plans for £10m Blackpool hotel

Leisure giant Whitbread is poised to submit reworked proposals for a 150-bedroom Premier Inn with a Brewers Fayre restaurant on the ground floor on the site of the former Yates’s pub in Talbot Square.

The site of the former Yates’ Wine Lodge is the perfect location for a new Premier Inn hotel in Blackpool.

The original application for the site was thrown out byBlackpool Council’s planning committee in April because councillors were unhappy with the design.

Concerns were also raised about the lack of parking.

The new plans will go on display today at the Houndshill Centre for residents to see.

Nick Johnston, acquisition manager for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, who is leading the development for Premier Inn, said: “Blackpool is an iconic seaside resort in the UK, and with this comes high demand for high quality and affordable accommodation.

“The site of the former Yates’ Wine Lodge is the perfect location for a new Premier Inn hotel in blackpool.

“It is close to the world famous Blackpool Tower and North Pier and is metres from Blackpool North train station and town centre.

“Our plans will bring more people to Blackpool, increasing footfall and benefitting many local businesses and tourist attractions.”

Whitbread, Premier Inn’s parent company, is proposing to invest £10m in the new hotel and Brewers Fayre restaurant.

A total of 65 year-round new jobs in a variety of roles would also be created.

Mr Johnston added: “We were disappointed by the committee’s decision to refuse the original application in April.

“Since then our design team has worked hard to ensure we can deliver the quality building the site deserves.

“Premier Inn is committed to investing in Blackpool and I am confident the new designs will be an asset to the legendary British town.”

A public exhibition on the revised plans is being held today between 1pm and 6pm at 17 Victoria Street, which is one of the exterior units at Houndshill, when the scheme will be on display and members of the development team will be on hand to answer any questions on the proposals.

The new application is then expected to be submitted later this summer.

There is still no parking provision but a detailed highways assessment will be submitted, and it is anticipated most guests will travel by train with those that do arrive by car using existing town centre car parks.

The site has been empty since the former Yates’s Wine Lodge was demolished following a devastating fire in February 2009.

The council’s planning committee refused the application for the site between Talbot Road and Clifton Street, after raising concerns about how guests and deliveries would access the site.

Councillors also said they did not feel confident in the design of the proposed six-storey building.

Talbot ward councillor Mark Smith urged people to go along to the exhibition to see the plans.

He said: “I’m pleased Whitbread has listened to the concerns of the committee and are engaging more with the community to get their views on the new plans.

“This is an iconic site and while it is important we get investment here, it is also important that we get something which is right for Blackpool.

“I hope lots of people will go along to the exhibition and take a look at the plans and make their views known to the development team.”

There is already planning permission in place for a Tesco Express and eateries on the site but that scheme came under fire for failing to have enough ‘wow’ factor for the site, and has never progressed.

Source:Blackpoolgazette.co.uk