Sheffield hotel site homes plan decision delayed

Members of Sheffield Council’s planning committee had been expected to give a verdict on the proposals by the end of October, but the decision has now been delayed until January after council officers sought extra time.

The plans, lodged in April, involve converting the hotel building into six two-bedroom flats, along with putting up 12 deatched houses and 12 two-bedroom apartments.

The designs were amended in October to address concerns.

The extension to the original hotel has been reduced. A flat roof has now been proposed, rather than the previous pitched roof design.

In documents submitted to the council, architects Coda Planning, said the change ‘effectively amounts to the reduction of a storey in height’.

“However as you’re aware the viability of the site is marginal and the loss of any units isn’t really possible,” the firm added.

Among the other amendments, houses would be brought further away from the road to ‘increase the sense of openness’ along Abbeydale Road South, as well as ‘to significantly increase the size of the rear gardens’.

The restaurant shut and the rooms closed to guests last New Year’s Eve, when bosses Brewkitchen decided to cease trading.

When the closure was announced in October 2015, high repair costs on certain areas of the hotel were given as the reason behind the move. The site is owned by Sheafbank Investments, a consortium of businessmen.