The hotel had been scaled down from earlier plans for 16 storeys. Credit: via planning documents

Novotel looks to join Old Trafford hotel boom

Proposals for a 171-bedroom hotel at the junction of Warwick Road and Chester Road have been lodged, replacing a plan refused in January 2020.

The project includes the demolition of the distinctive tinted office block at 701 Chester Road, the longer frontage for the proposed hotel being on Warwick Road, noted as the highway between the two sporting Old Traffords.

Stride Treglown is the scheme’s architect, with the planner Brian Madge submitting the application on behalf of applicant Acre Manchester, registered in Harrow and part of the Westcombe Group.

The professional team also includes Capita, M&E consultant WSP, Curtins as structural engineer, JGA Fire, SK Transport, Abricon and heritage architect Stephen Levrant.

The previous proposal was for a 16-storey tower at the corner, with front of house operations in a podium block. The refusal was appealed, with the planning inspector upholding the refusal on grounds including the impact on Hornby Road residents and the listed Trafford Town Hall.

In response to those issues, the reworked design seeks to minimise impact with a proposed height of 8.8m at the Hornby Road end, rising to a maximum height of 58.8m at the Chester Road side.

The new design is stepped, with the majority of the building being seven-eight storeys, set against the current building’s six. The highest point will be nine storeys.

Since the first application, the footprint of the site has been extended to include 2 Hornby Road, which will be retained and converted for staff accommodation.

A coffee shop, gym and meeting rooms are included within the hotel’s planned amenities. As with the existing office building, vehicular access will be from Hornby Road.

The site sits across from the Trafford pub and a vacant plot where consent was refused in May this year for Jumani Holdings’ proposed 13-storey apartment building on a previously stalled site.

An earlier iteration of the Acre scheme had Hampton by Hilton inked in as operator. Planning documents list 15 hotels operating within a mile, including Hotel Football, Victoria Warehouse and the soon to be expanded Hilton Garden Inn at Emirates Old Trafford.

NOVOTEL OLD TRAFFORD IMAGE 2

The hotel is slightly lower at the Hornby Road side. Credit: via planning documents

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