Hotel replaces student flats on Chester gateway site
Developer Morbaine has put forward plans for a seven-storey, 244-bed hotel on Hoole Way on a site where a similar proposal for student accommodation was refused consent in 2017.
Designed by Leach Rhodes Walker, the hotel is planned for a vacant site between Hoole Way and Black Diamond Park on one of the main routes into Chester city centre. The plot has been vacant for more than a decade and has most recently been used as a temporary car park.
Working with Nexus Planning, the proposal has been put forward in outline form by Morbaine with an operator yet to be secured. Cheshire West & Chester Council has not yet set a date to consider the application.
Nexus said the proposals would “seek to enhance the overall supply of visitor accommodation within easy walking distance of Chester’s visitor attractions and in a sustainable and accessible location.
“The scheme seeks to substantially improve the aesthetics of the site through the creation of a well-designed and high-quality development and in turn, redeveloping an important key gateway site leading into Chester city centre.”
The site off Hoole Way has a chequered planning history. A previous application for 376-bed, eight-storey student accommodation block on the site was unanimously refused by Cheshire West & Chester in 2017, against officer recommendation, with councillors arguing the proposal would “dwarf” nearby buildings.
In December 2017, this decision was overturned on appeal, with an independent inspector arguing the council had made “vague, generalised or inaccurate assertions” when it rejected the scheme. The inspector also ordered the council to pay costs after finding it had “behaved unreasonably”.
The site also previously secured approval for an office development in 2014 but this has to date not been progressed.
This is so poor. Seeks to improve the aesthetics of the site?
By Clark H
Nice!
By Tannoy
Not a pretty site, is it?
By Acelius
dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear…..this beggars belief,
Objectively, does anyone think this illiterate nonsense is anywhere close to being acceptable?
By anonymous
Welcome to….Milton Keynes/Hell/the1970’s (delete as appropriate)
By MAJOR GRUMP
Yet more hotel rooms for race goers, stags and hens etc. etc. who come and p**s all over our beautiful city. Let’s have some affordable homes for Chester people to live in.
By Tony p
The design is awful. It looks like a random collection of shoeboxes.
LL
By Liver lad
Too little car parking
Far too high. Four stories ok
Ok with a hotel on the site
By Christine Varty
So … “The scheme seeks to substantially improve the aesthetics of the site through the creation of a well-designed and high-quality development and in turn, redeveloping an important key gateway site leading into Chester city centre.”… if that is so then obviously this comment does not have any bearing on the image at the beginning of the article depicting an off-the-peg, unimaginative development of the ‘pack ’em in stack ’em high’ mentality. Very sad…
By C Hughes
@Clark H I think its nice
By Mr Anonymous Architect
Hole Road is a main artery into the city. If a more aesthetically pleasing hotel was built, this would be an appealing entry into the city and far better than a shabby temporary car park (that’s been “temporary” for 4 years! Sadly from the experience of the student accommodation, Morbaine will simply seek planning consent and then farm this out to the highest bidder, so we may end up with another low budget eyesore!
By GL
What’s the point of hotel rooms when the city has nothing to offer visitors? Shops closing, buildings standing empty. Drop the rates on the shops, bring businesses back into the city to encourage visitors to spend their money here.
By Pam
It’s a monstrosity! Have a heart for the reidents. We already have enough hotels in Chester. We need car parking and shops full not empty!! Why don’t you think about residents who live in Chester not outsiders coming in for the races etc.
By J corbett
Far too big. Where will all the cars park? Hoole streets!!. The original footprint for offices should be used. 3 stories high and well within the the footprint, which allowed for car parking. More in keeping with the surroundings.
By Ann HRrison
It will be another red herring, like the travelodge at Hoole roundabout. The University must have friends in high places. It will pass for a hotel añd 6-12 months down the road it wilĺ be student accommodation.
By Cuds
I wonder if this hotel will fail like the two others near the fountains roundabout, and have to be turned into student accommodation as well. This was lucky for the university as I believe both spots had been refused applications for student flats before the hotels where built…
By James