Plans for Blackpool hotel ruled out as unsuitable for holiday area

Duncan Ridgely had sought permission to use the 25-bedroom Lucena Hotel on Barton Avenue as accommodation for people who can work remotely from any destination.

Digital nomadism is a growing lifestyle choice for people who want to mix their work with the opportunity to travel and experience living in different places.

Documents supporting the application say: “Each guest that stays is coming to experience Blackpool as a tourist once they have finished their work in the day, which just happens to take place in the hotel as they are working remotely on their laptops.

“So being in the Main Holiday Area of South Beach Blackpool is perfect for them.

“They are ‘working tourists’ and not coming just for work and therefore different to contractors whose prime motivation to come to Blackpool is to earn money.” Under the proposals, the hotel would offer shared office space and kitchen facilities and a games/movie room as well as bedroom accommodation.

But town hall planners turned down the request for permission saying the needs of digital nomads would be “more suited to a residential area”, while the scheme was considered more similar to a hostel than a hotel.

A report setting out the reasons for the decision says: “The use of a holiday accommodation property by digital nomads within a defined and safeguarded holiday accommodation area would undermine the character and function of that area and thereby have a detrimental impact on the resort.”

It adds: “The expectation that residents would make use of communal kitchen facilities to cook their own meals would be markedly different to that of a hotel and would be more similar to a hostel or HMO (house of multiple occupation) use.

“The typical duration of a resident’s stay would also be significantly different to what would ordinarily be expected in a hotel and would exceed common understanding of the function and character of a hotel use.”

The application, which was for a certificate of lawful use for the premises, was refused using delegated powers.

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