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Solum Regeneration and Travelodge submit plans for Bishop’s Stortford town centre hotel

16:24, 03 October 2024

updated: 17:13, 03 October 2024

Plans for a 92-bedroom hotel in Bishop’s Stortford town centre have been submitted.

Solum Regeneration and Travelodge Hotels Ltd have asked East Herts Council (EHC) for planning permission to construct a four-storey building as part of the Goodsyard development at the railway station.

The brick exterior, three-storey Travelodge will be built above 552 sq m (5,941 sq ft) of “flexible commercial space” at ground-floor level.

How the new Travelodge is expected to look
How the new Travelodge is expected to look

An open-plan reception lobby on the ground floor will be visible as guests approach from the station.

For visitors arriving by car, EHC has struck a deal to provide 60 overnight parking bays in the Jackson Square car park and 10 spaces in the Crown Terrace car park at Hockerill.

According to supporting documents, the budget hotel has been designed by JWA architects, who have “extensive experience of designing high-quality new buildings in key regeneration areas”.

How the new Travelodge is expected to look
How the new Travelodge is expected to look

The 0.24-hectare application site is a parcel of land in the northern part of the Goodsyard footprint bordered by Station Road, Sextons Road and Anchor Street.

In July 2018, planning permission was granted for a four-storey, 85-bed hotel as part of the wider development of 641 homes, office and retail floorspace, two multi-storey car parks, improvements to the bus interchange, a north-south link road through the site (Sextons Road), an east-west connecting link road (Morton Peto Road) and a “public realm”.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the hotel operator earmarked for the site withdrew.

The planning statement says: “Solum undertook extensive marketing efforts to explore new opportunities. This process was prolonged, primarily due to the market’s cautious approach towards progressing new sites until stability was observed post-pandemic.

Block H, the hotel site, is outlined in red
Block H, the hotel site, is outlined in red

“Additionally, the town’s ability to accommodate the demand was carefully assessed, given the substantial supply of accommodation around Stansted Airport.”

The new plan, albeit with seven extra bedrooms, sits within the same building footprint as the first scheme and is a similar height to the previously approved design.

Overall, the refined masterplan for the Goodsyard is set to deliver around 740 homes, a minimum of 3,004 sq m (32,334 sq ft) of commercial floorspace; 1,083 sq m (11,657 sq ft) of retail floorspace; 491 sq m (5,285 sq ft) of dual/alternative use retail and healthcare floorspace; two multi-storey car parks; parking for the residential units; and improvements to the Bishop’s Stortford transport interchange.

Site plan
Site plan

In addition to the homes and commercial units already built, EHC is currently considering a hybrid planning application, with detailed planning permission sought for 178 homes and 3,006 sq m (32,356 sq ft) of flexible commercial floorspace plus outline permission sought for up to 245 properties and up to 270 sq m (2,906 sq ft) of flexible commercial floorspace and a further parking facility.

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