The future of a hotel is unclear after a private school’s plan to transform it were given the green light, only for the school to pull out.

Proposals were submitted in June to turn the “unviable” Wards Hotel in Earls Avenue, Folkestone, into an educational and boarding house for Earlscliffe School.

The site is located 160 metres away from Earlscliffe’s main campus in Shorncliffe Road, an independent sixth form college for international students aged between 15-19.

According to original planning documents submitted by Lee Tattum, student immigration manager at Dukes Education, which runs the school, the current owners deem the hotel “unviable as a business”.

He stated the hotel has been “operating at a loss” and experienced a “downturn in trade”.

Last week planning officers at Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) voted unanimously in favour of the plans.

Cllr Jennifer Hollingsbee (Con) said whilst it would be a “shame to lose the nice hotel” that under the evidence provided there was no alternative but to give the green light.

The authority stated that the loss of the hotel would likely have “no impact upon tourism within the district”.

But speaking to KentOnline, the new head teacher of Earlscliffe School confirmed it would no longer be going ahead with the sale.

Mark Love, who took over in September, said: “As the newly appointed head teacher at Earlscliffe one of the first things I did was review the school's existent estate.

“We have a number of excellent buildings across Folkestone.

“I visited each of them and concluded that they provide exactly what our students need in terms of boarding and teaching facilities.

“The latter, combined with the creation of a new location for our art department led me to conclude that there was no current need for the school to acquire additional premises.”

In the original plans, teachers had hoped the 10-bedroom hotel could provide further student accommodation as well as a “much-needed” function room and an art studio.

When KentOnline spoke to neighbours earlier this year, there was mixed opinions on the proposals.

Paul Gedge, who has lived next door to the hotel for the past 20 years, said: “The main worry is about having a bunch of teenagers living next door.

“But I have to say they don’t really cause that much of an issue at the moment living down the road.

“It’s not something that I would object to. I would rather have the building used than be derelict.”

The 46-year-old said he is “not surprised” the hotel was closing as it has been on a “downslope for many years”.

Wards Hotel, which went on the market in February 2023, is a three-star Edwardian hotel dating back to 1901.

It has a rating of 4.5 on Tripadvisor, with rooms starting at £55 a night.

The owners of Wards Hotel were approached for comment.