Revised plans lodged for a Premier Inn hotel in Keswick

by | 19 Aug 2020 | Design

Premcor has reworked the designs for a proposed new hotel in northern England

Following discussions with the local community and stakeholders, plans for a proposed Premier Inn hotel in Keswick in the Lake District, England’s largest national park, have been significantly amended to better suit the needs of the area.

Premcor has submitted revised plans for a proposed 71-bedroom hotel at High Hill in Keswick. We take a closer look at what this project would entail.

An improved design that connects with its environment

The revamped application envisages a lower and more architecturally sophisticated hotel to be built on the site of the former Ravensfield residential care home. The project is led by developer Premcor, which owns the site and is planning to invest over £6 million in the new hotel if planning permission is granted.

Simon Hawkins, director at the Darlington-based company, said: “Our goal at High Hill is to create an attractive new hotel building that responds to the constraints of the site, suits its context and can be operated successfully by Premier Inn. It’s a significantly improved design that reflects the feedback we have received, connects with its environment and will create an excellent entrance into Keswick in my view.”

A new type of accommodation for Keswick

The plans were submitted to the Lake District National Park Authority on the week commencing 3 August 2020 and contain a number of updated design features by architect The Harris Partnership. These include reducing the scale of the building to three storeys throughout; revising the elevations to reduce the overall scale and mass of the building; introducing a greater mix of building materials; and redesigning the onsite car park.

A decision on the application is expected from the Lake District National Park’s development control committee later this year. If it goes ahead, it’s predicted that the Keswick Premier Inn will accommodate 44,000 overnight stays per year, with guests adding nearly £2 million in tourism expenditure to the local economy every year. Around 30 permanent jobs are also expected to be created at the hotel.

Kevin Murray, head of acquisitions at Premier Inn for the north of England and Ireland, said: “Bringing a new Premier Inn to High Hill will provide a new type of accommodation offer in Keswick. Our style of accommodation serves a different market compared to the well-run guest houses and B&Bs in the town.

“We also find that our ‘light touch’ offer supports the local economy as many of our customers go out to eat, drink, visit attractions, do activities, and generally enjoy the local area when they stay with us. We have an excellent opportunity to invest in Keswick for the long-term and we believe our proposed hotel, and the job opportunities we will create, will bring many benefits for the town and wider area.”

Whitbread added that it has been seeking an appropriate site in Keswick for years due to the high demand for family vacations and activity holidays. Premier Inn currently has five hotels around the Lake District at Cockermouth, Kendal, Penrith, Ulverston and Whitehaven.

ABOUT THE CHAIN

 

Whitbread is the owner of Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest hotel brand, and with a growing presence in Germany offering quality accommodation at affordable prices.