Hotel rooms could be built above busy pub

One of Great Yarmouth’s busiest pubs is hoping to expand its business by installing a hotel above it.

National pub chain JD Wetherspoon has submitted a planning application, in hope of converting the Troll Cart, on Regent Road, into a hotel.

If successful, the application would see part of the first and second floor of the building, and the whole of the third floor, converted into 22 rooms - with the venue still operating as a pub downstairs..

It would also see a new extension built onto the venue, in the place of a current retail unit found at 10-11 Regent Road, which would be demolished.

The one-storey unit is currently leased by the chain to a local retailer, who has two shops occupying the space – House of Vapes and When It’s Gone.

Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: “ The Troll Cart is an extremely popular and successful pub and we are keen to open a hotel above it.

“Our aim is to build a 22-bedroom hotel which we believe will benefit the town as well as the pub itself. Wherever possible we aim to make use of empty space above our pubs and this is the case with The Troll Cart.”

The plans would see the venue, which opened in 1996, almost double in size, from its current space of 796.1sq m to 1,141.6sq m.

Mr Gershon added: “At present we can’t say whether any building work on the hotel (subject to planning permission) will interfere with the running of the pub.”

Despite the addition of the rooms, there is nothing included in the plans to accommodate for car parking.

Mr Gershon added: “We would not wish to comment on the parking aspect of the new hotel.”

The documents are available to view at Town Hall until October 21.