Decision due on EasyHotel plan for Blackpool Prom

Never mind asking for a sea view - many guests at a new budget hotel earmarked for Blackpool Promenade look set to have no view at all.
An artist's impression of the proposed hotelAn artist's impression of the proposed hotel
An artist's impression of the proposed hotel

Planners are being recommended to approve a £7.6m scheme by EasyHotel to build a 97-bedroom property on the seafront despite concerns 31 rooms will not have a window.

The design helps keep costs down at the chain but rooms will be fitted with air conditioning.

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A report to Blackpool Council's planning committee, which is due to consider the application when it meets on Tuesday, says: "This was a point of officer concern and the applicant has sought to provide reassurance with regard to quality.

An artist's impression of the proposed hotelAn artist's impression of the proposed hotel
An artist's impression of the proposed hotel

"It is understood the EasyHotel brand has a portfolio of 36 hotels and over 3,300 rooms and that window-less rooms are a standard part of their provision.

"The chain's bedrooms are smaller than other budget brands but the quality is still argued to be high with air-conditioning to all rooms."

If it secures approval, the hotel will be built on land near Waterloo Road which has been empty since the Tudor Rose Hotel was demolished in 2014.

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The scheme will be four to five storeys in height and also includes a ground floor lobby and restaurant.

Planners say the scale of the building will "inevitably have some impact" on residents living behind the site, but this does not outweigh the economic benefits of the investment.

There are no objections following consultation.

Demolition of a garage on Commercial Street will also be required with EasyHotel, which is part of the EasyJet group, hoping to open the property in time for the 2020/21 financial year.

In their report to the committee, planners add: "Economically the proposal would redevelop a prominent, vacant site on the Promenade for visitor accommodation and would therefore support the regeneration and improvement of Blackpool as a tourist destination."