Detailed plans for new Winter Gardens hotel deferred

Developers have been told to provide more information about landscaping around a proposed new hotel in Blackpool amid concerns the site will lack greenery.

Blackpool Council’s Planning Committee voted to defer an application seeking consent for reserved matters for proposals to build a a five-storey apart-hotel with 266 bedrooms on land opposite the Winter Gardens.

The scheme had been recommended for approval, but councillors have asked for further details of the proposed tree planting, with the application now set to go back before the committee in December.

Planning Committee chairman Coun Dave Flanagan said after the meeting: “This proposed development once again shows Blackpool is on the right track in attracting and serving both tourists and the increasing numbers of those visiting the town for business and conference purposes.

“Members on the committee were keen to support the overall development however, it was felt that some areas relating to the landscaping and linking in with Blackpool’s greening strategy were not suitably addressed so took the decision to defer the application in anticipation of more detailed plans to review at the next meeting in December.

“This proposal stands side by side with other exciting developments for the town and want to ensure planning decisions are in keeping with the town’s growth, deliver for our residents and visitors and in a way that places value on the importance of landscaping and green infrastructure for the benefit of all.”

Applicants C1 Capital Partners Ltd and Mottrom Estates, whose current brands include Hilton London Olympia and a Mercure hotel in Northampton, already have planning permission but are seeking approval for more detailed designs.

A report to the committee by town hall planners had expressed dismay a green roof, which would have including living vegetation, has now been omitted while questions were also raised over tree planting.

In response to consultation, the council’s Tree and Landscaping Officers said proposed plant plots with evergreen shrubs at the Leopold Street entrance were “an unimpressive addition” while proposed tree planters were “insufficient”.

The council report said: “The preference is that all landscaping should go in the ground rather than in planters, unless ground conditions are not suitable. This is so the plants have the best chance of survival and to provide other benefits such as surface water drainage.”

Ian White, of hoteliers group StayBlackpool, also addressed the meeting about concerns including around the lack of a dedicated car park for the proposed hotel.

He warned while there are plans for new car parks in the town centre, the arrival of 3,000 civil servants to new offices next year would already add pressure to the road network and existing parking facilities.