Detailed plans submitted for Winter Gardens hotel

A new five-storey hotel set to be built in Blackpool will bring a contemporary design to the resort inspired by its Art Deco heritage.

Detailed plans have now been submitted to the council for the 266-bedroom hotel due to be built on land next to the Grade II* listed Winter Gardens.

Developers C1 Capital Partners and Mottram Estates were granted planning permission in June for the variation of an existing planning consent for a 160-bedroom hotel on the site between Alfred Street, Adelaide Street and Leopold Grove, which is currently used as a car park.

Members of the Planning Committee gave the go-ahead for a bigger hotel to be built primarily to serve the Winter Gardens Conference Centre, and split into accommodation aimed at holiday-makers with longer stay accommodation for business travellers.

The latest application, which is for reserved matters, sets out a blueprint for the materials which will be used, design principles and the layout of facilities.

Documents accompanying the application say: “The design for the new dual brand hotel endeavours to respect the existing conservation area, townscape context and the setting of the Winter Gardens.

“In order therefore not to compete too heavily with its heritage neighbour, akin to the conference centre, the approach has been to create a building of contemporary style, lightweight materials that can be constructed efficiently and which is inspired by its location rather than being a pastiche of its neighbours.

“It is envisaged that, particularly the extended stay part of the building will ultimately form business visitor accommodation for the neighbouring conference centre alongside the provision of guest accommodation for the city as a whole.”

Details include –

Active frontages are proposed at ground level along both Leopold Grove and Adelaide Street providing public entrances and reception areas as well as cafes, bars, restaurants and lounge areas.

Corner features on the junctions between Adelaide Street and Leopold Grove, and Alfred Street.

A more private entrance to the extended stay part of the hotel on Leopold Grove, with the short stay entrance on Adelaide Street given “a more youthful feel”.

Facades will be built using off-white/cream materials to complement the neighbouring Winter Gardens with light metal used for cladding on the upper floors.