Residents have only 2 weeks left in which to make their views known about ambitious plans to turn the existing Council offices – which will be vacated within the next year – into an 88 bedroom hotel and restaurant.

The proposed development comprises the change of use of the existing buildings for a hotel with restaurant, bar, leisure and office uses. Some small areas of the buildings are proposed for demolition with selective new extension works and associated landscaping.

The buildings include the “crescent form array” of property (1 – 9 St Leonard’s Place) on the south side of St Leonard’s Place, which have a Grade II* listing, and 2 and 4 Museum Street, which are Grade II listed. As such, the proposed works are also the subject of a separate application for Listed Building Consent.

Although the appearance of the listed building to the front won’t change much, a planning application by new owners Rusbond does involve extensive internal modifications and an extension.

It is a great shame that the Council has not sorted out the long term future of St Leonards Place, as a decision about restricting traffic could impact on the use made of, not just this imposing building, but also others in the street.

There is talk of removing the bus stops from the frontage.

What is certain is that the car park to the side of the building – which was available for public use in the evening and weekends – will be lost as it will in future be reserved for hotel guest use.

There has been remarkably little publicity about this planning application with the supporting papers revealing initial consultation involved only a handful civic organisations.

Full details of the planning application can be found here. http://tinyurl.com/St-Leonards-Planning