Council consider hotel conversion plan

REVISED plans to convert a Great Yarmouth hotel into 10 luxury apartments look set to be refused by the borough council's planning committee over fears it would be “detrimental” to the holiday area.

It is the second application made to the development control committee by Hazelhurst Hotel owner Dexter Bowers.

In July councillors refused the scheme over fears that valuable holiday accommodation would be lost, although that application is subject to an appeal.

No objections have been raised by neighbours and comments from Sharp - a group tasked with regenerating the secondary holiday area around Wellesley Road - are due to be reported at Tuesday's meeting although it objected to the original application.

In a letter to the council Mr Bowers' agents, Wheatman Planning, argue conversion of the hotel would not have a detrimental impact because of the intensity of the use.

Agent director Simon Wheatman explained that during the summer season Mr Bowers kept track of the number of vacancies in the hotels and guest houses within the immediate area. He writes: “Even during the peak weeks of the school holidays there was a significant number of vacancies which represents a high proportion of the serviced accommodation stock.”

He goes on to say that there is adequate hotel stock in the Yarmouth area, referring to the newly built Travelodge on Gorleston's Beacon Park estate and the potential four-star hotel that could be built in Yarmouth as part of a development for a large casino.

In the previous application Mr Bowers claimed the Norfolk Square hotel had struggled to attract customers and was running at a loss.

However, council planning officers have recommended councils refuse the application because turning the hotel into a residential property would be detrimental to the area and would also result in the loss of tourist accommodation.

The meeting will be held at the Town Hall on Tuesday at 6pm.