Margate: Seven-storey multi-coloured hotel approved by Thanet District Council
Published: 11:33, 21 May 2018
Updated: 11:40, 21 May 2018
A splash of colour is coming to a seaside town after a seven-storey hotel with striped cladding designed to look like deckchairs was given the go-ahead by the council.
The 117-bedroom super build will include a restaurant in Ethelbert Crescent in Margate.
Plans for the multi-colour hotel were submitted last August by Guy Hollaway Architects, and were given the green light last week.
The company say it will "bring new life" to the town and will "contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Margate."
The multi-colour metal cladding panels are designed to reflect the "famous Margate deck chairs".
Design plans laid out the need for the hotel, saying: "Margate is undergoing an extensive regeneration, which is seeing the town flourish to its former glory.
"A number of visitor attractions being started and completed in recent years, visitor numbers are on the rise, and therefore so is demand for quality accommodation."
It pointed out the dip in Margate's economy and there are hopes the hotel will draw in tourism and income to the town.
A statement from Guy Hollaway Architects said: "According to the Margate renewal study, the town's economy is still suffering decline in tourism and related industries since its heyday.
"Margate is currently ill-adapted to catering for modern expectations of visitors, and the town lacks quality accommodation..." - Guy Hollaway Architects
"It is geographically isolated, and has an industrial structure that remains highly dependent on tourism and public administration, and is therefore highly vulnerable to decline.
"The tourist industry provided a base for the local economy in the past.
"The area also continues to see job losses in distribution, hotels and restaurants - a sector which now accounts for just 23% of local employment today.
"Job losses have been concentrated in the hotel sector while restaurants and bars have all experienced modest growth.
"Margate is currently ill-adapted to catering for modern expectations of visitors, and the town lacks quality accommodation."
The architect company added: "The proposed development will not only contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Margate, providing much needed tourist accommodation, but will also being new life to a brownfield site that has been vacant for more than a decade."
Despite its size, just 15 jobs will be created, and no customer parking will be available with the exception of two disabled bays and 16 bike bays - encouraging visitors to take alternate modes of transport.
In the transport assessment form, it says: "Customers of the hotel will be informed at the time of booking that no customer parking is available, with information provided on local public car parks and alternative modes of transport.
"Additionally, the provision of three loading/ unloading spaces at the site will allow visitors to set down their luggage at the htoel prior to locating a public car parking space."
Plans for the hotel were reduced from an 11-storey design, as outlined in the pre-application in 2015, to eight-storeys in 2016.
It was then agreed at the site meeting to reduce the overall height to seven-storeys.
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Katie Davis