New Blackpool hotel will be one storey lower than first proposed

Revised plans for a five star hotel have been lodged with Blackpool Council outlining fresh designs which are a storey lower than previously proposed.
Dismantling work at the Sands buildingDismantling work at the Sands building
Dismantling work at the Sands building

The new scheme to convert the former Sands entertainment venue on Central Promenade into luxury holiday accommodation will see two new storeys added to the existing building, instead of three.

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It means the hotel will offer 91 bedrooms instead of 96, with each room having views either over the seafront, the town centre or an internal atrium.

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Town hall planners have already approved an outline planning application and reserved matters for the site, enabling the dismantling work which has already taken place since the Sands closed at the start of this year.

Fresh proposals, submitted by Preston-based architects Frank Whittle Partnership on behalf of the building's owner Peter Swann, show a four-storey building instead of the original five storeys.

The council-led Blackpool Museum project is still earmarked for the first floor along with the hotel cafe, after it secured full planning permission in October.

Plans for the ground floor include the hotel reception and restaurant, expansion of the existing Wild West Diner and the museum entrance.

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Rooms will be distributed on the second, third and fourth floors with penthouse suites on each floor enjoying corner views over the sea.

There will also be facilities in the basement including meeting rooms and a spa.

The raised concrete walkway, which originally connected the town centre to the Promenade, remains set for removal as part of the redevelopment.

A design statement accompanying the application says: "The large penthouse suites on the corner aspects of the hotel will provide stunning views out over the Promenade and the Irish Sea, making the Sands Venue Resort and Hotel a real destination point for tourism in Blackpool."

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It adds: "The existing building and adjacent external spaces are in desperate need of modernisation and we feel the scheme put forward achieves this."

Outline planning permission was granted for the Sands hotel redevelopment in 2015, with reserved matters approved in 2016.

The revised application is expected to go before the February meeting of Blackpool's planning committee.