Plans in for 142-bed Chester hotel
Developer TAG Chester wants to largely demolish the former Mecca Bingo Hall to make way for a seven-storey hotel designed by DAY Architectural.
The mock-Tudor frontage on Brookdale Place would be retained under TAG’s plans – with the developer seeking to turn this section of the site into 8,000 sq ft of serviced office space. However, the non-Brookdale Place-fronting aspects of the building would be razed.
The proposed 142-bed hotel would be less wide than its predecessor, and further stepped back from the Shropshire Union Canal, allowing for an active travel path by the water. A ground-floor restaurant would feature both indoor and outdoor seating, allowing for waterfront views while customers dine.
TAG’s ambitions for Hotel Chester, as it would be named, are for the building to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. The developer is also shooting for 100% biodiversity net gain, by adding various public realm elements and specifically choosing plants that will enhance the biodiversity of the area.
TAG hopes to have planning approval by the second quarter of 2024. If this is achieved, the developer predicts it will be able to complete the scheme by the end of 2026. During the construction process, TAG said it would create 110 jobs – with 80 jobs created when the hotel is operational.
While the creation of Hotel Chester will necessitate the demolition of most of the 1930s bingo hall, the new building’s design is meant to honour the city’s past.
“Designs for Hotel Chester have been inspired by the city’s history and reflect Cheshire West and Chester Council’s ambition to support the growth of the area’s visitor and business economy,” said Luke Averill, director of TAG.
“Rejuvenation in this part of Chester is much-needed and we believe Hotel Chester will act as a catalyst for exactly this.”
In addition to DAY, the project team includes planning consultant Zerum and landscape architect TPM Landscape. Futureserv, Adept Consulting Engineers, Donald Insall Associates, Arbtech, Orion Fire Heritage, NoiseAir, Element Sustainability, and Redmore Environmental round out the project team.
The planning application for Hotel Chester is not available on Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning portal.
I love Chester, the north’s nicest city after York,
By Gilly
This looks a nice scheme. I like the styling on the roof.
By Chris
There’s a hotel development feeding frenzy going on in Chester just now. The bubble will burst eventually.
By WayFay
Chester continues with its fear of modern architecture. What even is that? Mock-tudor, really???
A fantastic gateway site to make a statement.
By Reader
And what about parking?
By Glyn Pool
Just what Chester needs,another hotel.Hardly any decent shops but loads of eateries and hotels. So sad to see the decline of this lovely city.
By Anonymous
I don’t understand why do many hotels have been built or will be built in Chester in the last 5 – 7 years. Does anyone have any ideas? Over that time we have had more shops closing and fewer independent shops but at the same time a number of hotels being built for tourists we don’t see.
What I would really like to see are more independent shops and tourist attractions, like the new Roman museum. I think it would be good to have a Roman version of Jorvik with the car going round a Roman village.
By Hanna
The gable end looks remarkably like Tim Groom Architects First Street scheme for Vita, rather than being inspired by Chester’s history.
By Bodie